The Stake-Out That Changed Everything
by Padfoot2007
Summary: Tony and Ziva go on a stake-out. Just like all the other times, right? Wrong! (Re-post of The Stake-out because I was having issues with my computer) A little McAbby later on. AU since Cote is leaving NCIS.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: Normally, I write Harry Potter fan fiction. But this idea would not stop bugging me. Especially after the season finale. So I just had to try my hand at NCIS fan fiction. **

**I have watched NCIS since the beginning. Ever since Ziva's first appearance on the show, I have wanted her and Tony together. Don't get me wrong, I loved Kate and was so sad when Ari killed her, but Kate and Tony had a brother/sister relationship in my opinion. Ziva and Tony just have this chemistry that is on a completely different level.**

**Originally, I was just going to make this a one-shot. However, I think that it will be much more than that. Constructive criticism is welcomed. Downright rudeness will be ignored.**

* * *

**Chapter One: The Beginning**

* * *

"Why can't McGee do the stake-in with Tony!" whined Ziva David, frustrated.

"Stake-out," corrected Tony, smirking a little.

Ziva glared at Tony. He was so infuriating. Why he felt the need to correct her all of the time, she did not know. So what if she butchered yet another American word. She knew several different languages. Ziva thought that it was remarkable that she did as well as she did, considering the circumstances.

Special Agent Gibbs looked at Tony, then at Ziva.

"Special Agent McGee is busy with other tasks that I have assigned to him, Agent David," replied Gibbs, grumpily. "I need you to stake-out the sergeant's home and make sure that he isn't up to something," then Gibbs added, "And if you two can't do that, you might want to start looking for another place of employment."

Ziva let out a defeated sigh. Behind her, Tony grinned widely. He was still relishing the moment where he had corrected Ziva.

"On it, Gibbs," Ziva responded, flatly.

DiNozzo began to follow her, but Gibbs whistled at him. Both Ziva and Tony looked, but Gibbs dismissed Ziva with a wave of his hand. He beckoned Tony over to his desk. Like a loyal dog, Tony obeyed Gibbs' command. He faced Gibbs in front of his desk, waiting. Agent Gibbs crooked his finger which DiNozzo took to mean come closer. Agent DiNozzo leaned forward so that his ear was close to Gibbs' lips.

"Something is bothering her, Tony. She hasn't been herself since the incident with Bodner. Find out what," Gibbs whispered into Tony's ear. Tony nodded then followed Ziva into the elevator. Once the door closed, Tony allowed his mind to wander.

There definitely was something going on with his favorite Israeli. However, DiNozzo had no idea what that was. But he intended on finding out. Being naturally curious and all.

They got into the car. He expected Ziva to ask if she could drive, but was shocked when she did not offer. DiNozzo turned on the car. The engine roared into life and DiNozzo backed out of the parking lot.

* * *

Ziva was still being silent. Not a word had been said all the way to the car. Normally, they would be bickering. However, that was not the case. Ziva was resolutely staring out the passenger seat window. Her arms were folded across her chest.

Tony hated silence. He just couldn't stand it. It irritated him. He had to break the ice somehow. It was killing him.

"I'm sorry," he said, still watching the road.

Ziva seemed to break out of her trance. She looked over at Tony, confused.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"This morning, when I corrected you," replied Tony, looking quickly at her then his eyes flew back to the road. "I shouldn't have done that."

"No, you shouldn't have," agreed Ziva, in a slightly less icy tone. "I know several languages. I—"

"Should be allowed little mistakes," Tony finished for her, flashing her a grin.

"Wow, we've been partners far too long," commented Ziva, eyebrows raised. "You're completing my sentences for me."

"Yeah, it's a little scary," admitted Tony, looking a little spooked.

"Never thought that I'd see the day that Special Agent DiNozzo was scared," said Ziva, chuckling.

"That's _very_ Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, and I do get scared. I'm terrified of spiders, creepy crawlers, and clowns," replied DiNozzo. When Ziva burst into laughter at the last part, DiNozzo added, "Ever watched the movie IT?"

"No," Ziva choked out through her laughter.

"You should watch it sometime. You'd change your mind about clowns too. Still gives me the creeps when I have to go near a sewer system. Don't ever tell Probelicious about that. He doesn't need to know or else," warned DiNozzo, looking menacing.

"I won't," promised Ziva, tears of laughter in her eyes.

Once they arrived at their destination, Tony and Ziva found a discreet parking spot. One where they could spy on the sergeant's house without being noticed. Tony rolled down the windows just an inch before killing the engine. Ziva pulled out the binoculars and began spying on the sergeant's house, but quickly noticed that he wasn't home.

"He's not there," stated Ziva, putting down the binoculars.

"Must've went out for a burger," suggested Tony. _Good,_ Tony thought, _Gives me time to talk to Ziva without distractions._

* * *

Ziva and Tony both sat silently in the car. Tony was trying to think. How could he ask Ziva what was bothering her and not sound like he was being annoying? There wasn't any way around it, he decided. He would just have to ask. Ziva had other plans.

"I've been meaning to ask you something since we got back from Berlin," Ziva said slowly.

Tony DiNozzo looked over at Ziva. She was avoiding his gaze. This was a very rare sight for the _very_ special agent. He wasn't used to seeing Ziva like this. It was unreal.

"I meant every word, Ziva," Tony told her, placing a hand over hers. Somehow, he had known what Ziva was going to ask before she even asked it. Being partnered with someone for so long, you just knew these things.

"Really?" replied Ziva, looking surprised. "So it wasn't just a spur of the moment thing?"

"No, I really care about you Ziva," Tony said, placing a hand on her chin. He lifted her face so that he was gazing into her chocolate eyes. "You mean a lot to me."

Before Ziva had time to respond, Tony leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. It was not a long kiss. Just a brief, testing the waters kiss. Long enough to change everything forever.

"What about Gibbs' rule regarding inter-team relations?" questioned Ziva.

Tony sighed and lowered his head. She was right. Gibbs had a specific rule for this matter, and he had broken it. Sweeping his hair back with his hand, Tony looked at Ziva again. _She's so beautiful,_ he thought.

"Well, we've already shattered it," DiNozzo replied with a grin. "Can't change what's already been done. But I have to ask, do you really care or are you frightened of being with me?"

"I am not frightened of anything, Tony!" shrieked Ziva, flustered. "I'm just annoyed!"

"Why?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

"Yes, I do."

"Fine," hissed Ziva, through clenched teeth. "I guess that I am frightened of being with you. I mean, what would happen if this," Ziva waved a hand between them, "didn't work out? Where would that put us or the team? It would be awkward. We would still have to see each other every day. And hear about dates with other people. How would we survive without one of us quitting NCIS?"

"I've considered this and I still don't care. It is worth the risk. Unfortunately, it has taken until recently for me to see just how much I like you. Maybe even love you. I've been in denial all of these years. I thought that my feelings for you were the same as they were for Kate. But they are not. Kate was like a sister to me. You….Ziva, you are so much more."

It was Ziva who kissed Tony this time. Unlike last time, the kiss was much longer. Ziva's slender arms wrapped tightly around DiNozzo, bringing him closer to her. Tony obliged and started massaging her back with his hands. His tongue parted Ziva's lips and met blissfully with her tongue. Their tongues began a tango of sorts. It fueled all of the pent-up feelings that were finally being released. As Tony's hands began to roam, Ziva issued a moan. Her eyes fluttered as he lightly grazed his fingers across her chest.

Headlights from a car made them look away from each other. The sergeant had returned. He was clutching a bag that Tony recognized from his favorite Chinese restaurant. Reluctantly, Tony pulled away from Ziva.

"We will continue later," Tony assured Ziva.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Tony," Ziva replied, winking mischievously.

* * *

**Reviews are very welcomed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: This is the only time in this story that I will state this. I do not own NCIS or anything related to it. If I did, Tony and Ziva would have been together already. So would Abby and McGee.  
**

* * *

**Chapter ****Two: The Cover-Up**

* * *

One day had passed since the stake-out. Both Tony and Ziva had decided that it was best to act as though nothing had happened. At least, in front of their colleagues. After hours was a completely different story. That was their free time to do as they wished.

It wasn't really that hard for them to cover up their actions. They continued their casual banter. To anyone else, it appeared that nothing had changed between Tony and Ziva. Only they knew the truth. Tony and Ziva knew that everything had changed for them.

Ziva was at her desk typing up her report. The case was closed. Turns out that the sergeant was innocent after all. His ex-wife was the one who was embezzling the money. She tried to frame the sergeant in order to cover her mistake. Tony had claimed that he knew it was her all along. A fact that he repeated endlessly.

"See, I told you," gloated Tony. He was leaning casually in his chair, feet propped up on his desk. "It was the wife."

"It was a lucky guess, Tony," Ziva replied, looking up at him. "Don't you have a report to fill out?"

"Already done, _Ziva_," said Tony, smirking at her.

"How do you have your report done already?" asked McGee, looking incredulous. "I've barely finished half of mine, and I'm the faster typer."

"It's a gift, McProbie-san," replied Tony, placing his hands behind his head. "One that requires the skill of a _very_ special agent. And I saw that, McEye-roll," Tony added, glaring at McGee.

"Are you done pestering McGee, DiNozzo," asked Gibbs, who just entered the bullpen.

"I was just enlightening McProcrastinator on how to get a report done on time," responded Tony.

He tried to sit upright in his chair, but failed. Instead, the chair collapsed and DiNozzo fell to the ground. McGee and Ziva both snickered. Gibbs, however, shook his head. Tony emerged, red-faced, from behind his desk.

"Sorry boss, must've been a poorly made chair," DiNozzo said, brushing himself off.

"Maybe you should lay off the fast food, Tony," suggested Ziva with a wicked smirk.

Tony glared at her. _Oh, well played, Miss David,_ he thought.

"Have you emailed that report yet, DiNozzo?" questioned Gibbs. "Or are you going to glare at Ziva all day?"

"Sorry, boss," said DiNozzo.

Tony pushed his broken chair aside and looked around. Agent Borin's empty chair was just a few feet away. Tony replaced his old chair with Agent Borin's chair. Sitting back down at his desk, Tony began working again as if nothing had occurred.

Throughout the day, it was really difficult for Tony not to look at Ziva. They had decided not to make it obvious that things had changed between them. At least, not until they could figure out a way around rule number twelve. Since the only way around rule twelve was to quit, neither Ziva nor Tony could be openly affectionate to each other while at work.

Tony was still reeling from the reality that Ziva was his girlfriend. He had waited a long time for this. There was a time when Ziva was dating Ray, that he believed that they'd never get together. Especially when Ray had proposed to Ziva. Tony had thought that all hope had been lost.

But that was not the case. Tony and Ziva were together now, and he knew it would last for the long haul. He didn't want Ziva to be a one-night stand. He wanted Ziva to be in his life forever. Tony wanted to grow old with Ziva and raise babies with her. He was done with dating other women. The only woman Tony wanted was Ziva David.

* * *

At long last, it was time for them to go home. Tony was the first to pack up. He was really looking forward to his dinner date with Ziva. After saying goodbye to Gibbs and McGee, Tony caught up with Ziva in the elevator. They were all alone.

"Do you have any idea how hard that was?" Tony questioned.

"Yeah, tell me about it," responded Ziva. "Pretending like we were still just friends in front of everyone. A lot harder than I thought that it would be. But I think that we were very convincing."

"Yeah, if NCIS doesn't work out, I think that we could have great acting careers ahead of us," said Tony, grinning at his girlfriend.

Ziva returned his grin. The elevator door opened and Abby was standing there. She smiled at the two, unsuspectingly.

"Hey guys!" she said, brightly. "Got any plans for tonight?"

"Yeah, I've got a date tonight," said Tony. "At the Caberet."

"Oooh fancy, Tony," said Abby, grinning. Then she looked at Ziva. "What about you?"

"I too have a date. We're going to the opera," explained Ziva.

"Oh," replied Abby, looking disappointed. "I was hoping that you guys would like to have dinner at my place. So far, only McGee is able to attend. I was hoping that you guys would be able to come. But that's okay, maybe next time?"

"Let us know, Abs," responded Tony, while Ziva nodded in agreement.

"Okay, have fun on your dates," Abby called after them as Ziva and Tony walked away.

* * *

"You look lovely, Miss David," complimented Tony, ogling Ziva.

She flushed at the compliment and stammered her thanks. Ziva was dressed in a cerulean gown that stopped above her knee. The sweetheart neckline showed just enough skin to be tasteful. Ziva's makeup just added to her beauty. Tony was taken away by how gorgeous she looked. They held hands as they walked out to Tony's car. Tony held the door open for her as she got inside.

"So, where are we going tonight, Tony?" asked Ziva as Tony started driving.

"You'll see," responded Tony, grinning devilishly.

They parked the car before a large ship. The ship was decorated in strings of pale light. Soft music and laughter could be heard from within. Tony held the car door open for Ziva. He extended his hand to her, helping her out of the vehicle.

The maitre'd settled the pair into their table. Tony ordered a bottle of merlot and a steak. Ziva asked for chicken alfredo. After eating their food, Tony asked Ziva to dance. She accepted and he whisked her out onto the dance floor. They spent the remainder of their date in each other's arms.

When it was time to go, both Tony and Ziva agreed that it had ended too soon. Tony was going to ask Ziva to come into his apartment, but she refused.

"This is all very new to me," she told him. "As much as I'd love to come inside, I think that it is best that I don't. We know what'll happen if I do, and I want to take things slow."

Tony sighed but did not argue. Ziva was right. Their relationship was still very fresh. He didn't want to ruin what they had. He wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible. Inviting Ziva inside was a very bad idea. It would lead to something that they weren't ready for right now.

"Maybe some other time," suggested Tony, looking hopeful.

"Yes, maybe some other time," consented Ziva, grinning. "For now, goodnight Tony."

They kissed briefly. Tony watched Ziva walk away to her car. He didn't stop watching until she was out of sight. Then, he went inside his apartment and got ready for bed. Happy thoughts of their date swam through Tony's head before sleep overtook him.

* * *

**Well, what did you think? Leave me a review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: Thank you to those who reviewed. Especially jgibbs7. As for the Guest who reviewed, I read your review and laughed my arse off. Where in that chapter did it say that they went back to Tony's place? It was Tony thinking that he was going to suggest it, then changing his mind. Thanks for the laugh, though. I really needed it. Suggestion though, next time you are going to flame someone's work, be sure to log in so that they can reply to your comment. It's pretty cowardly to hide behind a guest name.**

* * *

**Chapter Three: The First Test**

* * *

"Okay, let's hear it," said McGee, looking like he wanted to get something over with as soon as possible.

"What are you talking about, McCranky?" asked Tony, taken aback by McGee's behavior. He clenched the bag holding his breakfast sandwich tightly. _Here it comes,_ Tony thought. _The first test._

"Abby told me that you had a date last night," replied McGee. "And I know how much you love to spill the details, so let's just be done with it."

"What if I don't want to spill the beans, McGoo?" Tony responded, taking a seat at his desk.

An astonished look crossed McGee's face.

"But you love to brag about your dates," said McGee, hardly believing his ears. "You never miss an opportunity to gloat. Why should this be any different?"

"Because I am a gentleman," hissed Tony, taking a bite of his sandwich. "And a gentleman does not kiss and tell."

McGee was about to respond when Ziva arrived. She had her headphones in and was listening to some music. Her head bobbed in time with the beat, and she was singing loudly. She was in her own little world, and did not notice that Tony and McGee were both looking at her.

After taking a seat at her desk, Ziva did notice that Tony and Tim were staring at her. She stopped the Ipod. Taking the earbuds out, Ziva opened the desk compartment and stuck the Ipod inside. She closed the compartment and looked at the two men, questioningly.

"May I help you?"

"That was quite a show that you put on there," teased Tony. "I especially loved the singing."

"I was just in a really good mood, Tony," growled Ziva, eyes shooting daggers at him.

"Ah, so the date went well," commented Tony, waggling his eyebrows.

"Why is it that you are so interested in other people's dates, but you suddenly don't want to talk about your own?" asked McGee.

"As Senior Field Agent, it is my duty to make sure that I know the personal details of my fellow agents. That way, I can be prepared for any major mood swings, McQuestionnaire," replied Tony, tossing his empty sandwich wrapper at McGee. He smirked at McGee's outraged look. Then, he returned his focus to Ziva, smiling widely. "So, how was your date? McFangirl and I want to know."

"It was very nice," responded Ziva. She flashed him a smile. One that only Tony could interpret the truth of.

"So are you going to see him again," questioned DiNozzo, mirroring her smile.

"Perhaps," Ziva responded, relishing the way that his expression changed to surprised and hurt and back to normal again.

Gibbs marched into the bullpen at that moment. He looked around at his fellow agents.

"Grab your gear," he said. "We have a dead petty officer that was found near 5th avenue this morning by a jogger."

* * *

There was a shuffling of feet as Tony, Ziva, and McGee scrambled to grab their things. They piled into the elevator and made their way to the parking garage. Once there, they climbed into one vehicle. Gibbs was behind the wheel. One short and heart pounding ride later found the team at 5th avenue, a night club known for harboring sailors in D.C.

"Nicely played there Ziva," whispered Tony, following Ziva around the crime scene. "I thought that we were supposed to convince the others that nothing was going on between us."

"I think that they still do not suspect us, Tony," muttered Ziva. "No one knows that we are together."

"All I am saying is that you should have been more convincing," retorted DiNozzo, glaring at Ziva.

"How about you convince me that you found something and I won't fire you, DiNozzo?" suggested Gibbs, who popped up right behind him.

Ziva and Tony nearly jumped out of their skins. They had been having a very private conversation. One that they didn't want Gibbs to hear. Naturally, they were a little spooked by what he might have heard.

"Dead petty officer was named Carol Traverse. From the looks of her, it seems as though she was thoroughly beaten to death," DiNozzo declared.

"I found a copper pipe that was stained with blood behind the dumpster," added Ziva, holding up a bag that contained said pipe.

"Good work," responded Gibbs. "Let's get this bag back Abby. McGee should be done with the pictures by now. Ducky and Palmer can get the body back to autopsy."

As Gibbs walked away towards the car, Tony felt like sighing in relief. Gibbs hadn't heard their conversation at all. He looked over at Ziva. She seemed relieved as well. Their first test was over. Certainly, there were many more to follow. However, Tony wanted to focus on the little victories right now. He could deal with the rest later.

* * *

**What did you think? Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story. I'm glad that you liked the fact that Tony and Ziva were jumpy around Gibbs nando2k50. There's most likely more of that to come.**

* * *

**Anyway, onto the next chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: More Tests**

* * *

The moment that she arrived at NCIS headquarters, Ziva took the bag containing the copper pipe down to Abby's lab. Loud, electronic music could be heard resounding off the walls inside Abby's lab. Abby herself was lying on the floor. Her head was resting on Burt the farting hippo as she stared at the ceiling.

Ziva walked over to where Abby was lying down. She stopped right in front of Abby's head, looking down at her curiously. Noticing Ziva standing there, the gothic forensic scientist grinned. Sitting up, Abby quickly pulled herself to her feet. She embraced Ziva in a hug.

"How did you know?" questioned Abby, still hugging Ziva.

"How did I know what, Abby?" Ziva responded, confused. Abby let go of her.

"That I needed something to do," said Abby, grinning at the Israeli woman. "I've been so bored with no evidence to go over. That's why I was meditating. I was going crazy without something to do."

"Glad to be of service, Abby," replied Ziva, smiling at the black-haired woman.

Ziva took a step forward and heard a farting noise. Slightly startled, Ziva stepped back and looked down at her feet. The farting noise had come from the hippo. Ziva stooped to pick the hippo up, but Abby beat her to it. She scooped the hippo up in her arms and placed him on a shelf. Ziva then handed the evidence over to Abby.

"So, spill it," Abby suddenly demanded as Ziva began to walk away.

Ziva looked at Abby as though she had no idea what she was asking.

"Your date," Abby exclaimed, "How was your date last night. Tell me all about it."

"It was very wonderful. We went on a dinner cruise. We talked. We drank and danced the night away," gushed Ziva, reminiscing.

"Sounds great," beamed Abby. "What was his name? What does he do for a living?"

Ziva hesitated. How was she supposed to make up a fake name and profession on the spot? She couldn't very well tell Abby that she had went on a date with DiNozzo either. What she needed was a lie, and she needed to think of it quick.

"Benjamin Grimes," said Ziva, thinking of the first name that popped into her head. "And he is a business man."

"Oooh, intriguing," said Abby, grinning widely. "What kind of business does Benjamin deal in?"

"Sports' gear," replied Ziva, hoping that Abby would believe her.

"Are you done with your gossip hour now?" questioned Gibbs, holding a Caf-Pow in one hand and a coffee in another. "Go make some calls to your sources. See if you can find out anything on our dead petty officer," Gibbs ordered Ziva.

"On it, Gibbs," she said, walking away without another word.

Gibbs watched Ziva's retreating back. He took a sip of his coffee.

"There's something going on with Ziva, Abby," stated Gibbs, placing the Caf-Pow in front of her. "She's been extra jumpy lately."

"She did seem to take a rather long time in telling me how her date went last night," admitted Abby. "Especially telling me his name."

Gibbs took another thoughtful sip of his coffee. The Israeli did seem to be twitchy lately. DiNozzo too, now that he thought about it. He wondered what was going on with them.

"Don't worry about it, Gibbs," said Abby, placing a hand onto his arm. "I'm sure it is nothing to be concerned over."

"I hope that you are right, Abby," replied Gibbs.

After giving Abby a peck on the cheek, Gibbs stepped out of Abby's lab. He took the elevator up to the bullpen.

* * *

"Still not going to tell me about your date, DiNozzo," inquired McGee. "Ziva already told me about hers."

Tony perked up at this. His eyes grew to the size of Frisbees as he gaped at Ziva. Tony gave her a brief look and smiled.

"Oh, really," said Tony, putting on his usual act. "And who is the lucky guy this week?"

"You make it sound as though I have a flavor of the week, Tony," growled Ziva, feigning annoyance. "I'm not like you. I don't go through girls like they are chewing gum."

"So you do like women," said Tony, becoming intrigued. Even Tim was watching with interest.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out," retorted Ziva, grinning at Tony.

"If you guys would focus more on the case than on your love lives, maybe some work would get done," snarled Gibbs as he exited the elevator.

Tony, Ziva, and Tim apologized profusely. They scurried to gather up enough information to give a report to their boss. As his team worked, Gibbs made some phone calls as well. He kept a watchful eye on Tony and Ziva, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Perhaps he had imagined that something was going on. Maybe he should just put it out of his mind. If something were truly wrong, they would come to him. Right now, there were other things that needed his attention. Like the case, for instance.

* * *

**You know the drill!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Uh Oh, Gibbs is getting suspicious. What will happen when he finds out that Tony and Ziva have been dating behind his back? He's not likely to be very pleased.**

**Special thanks to Lily, PatNCISfan, and TivaDensiMcAbby for reviewing. It makes me feel good knowing that this is getting positive feedback, and encourages me to keep going. **

**And now, on with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Suspicion**

* * *

Despite the fact that the music was loud, Abby heard the ding of the elevator. She didn't even have to listen to the footsteps to know that it was Gibbs coming into her lab. A Caf-Pow appeared beside her a second later. Grinning broadly, Abby spun around to face Agent Gibbs.

"Gosh Gibbs, it's like you have a sixth sense," exclaimed Abby. "You always seem to know when I have found something."

"It's my gut, Abs," replied Gibbs. "What've you got for me?"

"The blood sample came back on the copper pipe. It's definitely from our dead petty officer." said Abby. "I ran the fingerprints through our database and found a match."

"Who do they belong to?" inquired Gibbs, waiting for an answer.

"Lieutenant Roger Fredrickson and that's not all," said Abby, grinning even wider.

Gibbs gave her a look.

"Abby," he said, sternly.

"Chill, Gibbs," Abby responded, her smile fading a little. "I'm getting there. I think that you need to take some time to meditate. It would do you some good. Come on, breathe in deeply," Abby took a deep breath, "and breathe out. You do it this time, Gibbs."

Gibbs gave her a look that said he wasn't in the mood to meditate. Abby exhaled.

"Okay, fine, I'll get to the good part," responded Abby, looking a little put out. "He wasn't alone. Apparently, he had an accomplice. I found skin underneath the dead petty officer's fingernails that did not match Lieutenant Fredrickson. It belongs to Petty Officer Natasha Tharben."

"Good work, Abs," said Gibbs, giving her a peck on the cheek.

* * *

Abby beamed and took a sip from the Caf-Pow Gibbs left on her desk. Gibbs took the elevator back upstairs to check on his team. When he arrived, Gibbs noticed that Tony had scampered away from Ziva's desk as quickly as possible. A guilty look was plastered upon Tony's face as he looked at Gibbs. Ziva looked just as guilty.

_Whatever is going on between them, I am going to find out,_ Gibbs thought to himself.

"Any information on our suspect?" questioned Gibbs, awaiting an answer.

"Lieutenant Fredrickson lives in Annapolis. He has been married for three years. His daughter, Irene, is two," stated Ziva. "His wife, Helen, is not enlisted, but works at a law office here in D.C. as a paralegal."

"The lieutenant had a letter of warning from his commanding officer in regards to fighting," DiNozzo chimed in. "A verbal dispute that occurred six months ago with our dead petty officer."

"He has a criminal record as well, boss," added McGee, "Before being enlisted, Fredrickson was arrested for theft. He served a year in prison and was released for good behavior. Went straight into the service after getting out of jail."

"Let's bring him in," declared Gibbs.

Tony, Ziva, and McGee followed Gibbs as he headed towards the elevator. Gibbs watched as Ziva and Tony exchanged a glance. He looked away before they knew that he was watching them. Once this case was over, Gibbs was determined to find out what was going on. He didn't like secrets on his team. Not one bit.

Tony and Ziva watched Gibbs from behind the glass. McGee was digging up information on the lieutenant's accomplice. For the first time in a while, Tony and Ziva were alone.

"I think that he knows," Ziva said to him.

"Yeah, we're going to have to be more careful," replied Tony.

"Or we could just tell him," suggested Ziva, glancing at Tony.

"We can't just tell him, Ziva," said Tony, annoyed. "Rule twelve, remember?"

"I'm well aware of rule twelve, Tony," growled Ziva. "But as I recall, _somebody_ didn't care about rule twelve. _Somebody_ just wanted to be with me."

"So, I'm to blame now?" questioned Tony, angrily.

"I'm not blaming you," responded Ziva, hotly. "I'm just saying that I don't want to lie to Gibbs. I want to be honest about our relationship. I hate keeping this from Gibbs. It feels so wrong."

"Yeah, I know," responded Tony, peering through the glass at Gibbs, who was interrogating the suspect. "Once this case is over, we tell him. Agreed?"

"Yes," consented Ziva. "No more lies."

"No more lies," agreed Tony, grinning at his girlfriend. "Besides, maybe Gibbs won't mind?"

"That's fishful thinking, Tony," responded Ziva.

"Wishful thinking," corrected Tony. Ziva glared at him. "But, you're right. How're we going to tell him though?"

"We'll think of something," said Ziva, her expression softening.

Tony was glad that they were on the same page. He didn't know what he would do if Ziva wanted to keep hiding their relationship. Tony wanted to tell the world, but he knew that he could not. It would cost him his job at NCIS. A job that he did not want to lose. However, he really liked Ziva, and he wanted to continue seeing her. But not telling Gibbs, who had been like a father to him, felt wrong. Not telling the others was bad too. Tony did not like keeping secrets from family. And his co-workers at NCIS were definitely family.

So Tony and Ziva vowed to tell Gibbs. They were terrified of what he might say, but they couldn't hide their relationship any longer. It was becoming far too difficult. Once Gibbs knew the truth, they would tell the others. Hopefully, nothing bad would happen because of their relationship coming to light. Only time would tell though.

* * *

**How will Gibbs react? Will he fire them, or will he allow them to work at NCIS still? Find out in the next installment. Until then, drop me a line.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes: Looks like Tony and Ziva made their decision. They're going to tell Gibbs and the rest of the team about their relationship. How will Gibbs react? How will the rest of the team react? Find out soon. The next chapter is here!**

**Special thanks to the Guest who reviewed the previous chapter. It makes me very happy to know that my characterization is spot on with what people expect from these characters. I strive for that in all of my stories, and it makes me feel very wonderful to know that I am doing a great job.**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Shock and Awe**

* * *

The case ended too quickly for Tony and Ziva's liking. They were hoping for more time. Neither one had come up with a way to tell Gibbs or the rest of their team about their relationship. It had to be done in just the right way. This was a really big deal. Team members were not supposed to date. At least, not according to rule twelve. However, Tony came up with a clever idea.

"If Gibbs says anything negative, we'll defend ourselves by saying that he's already broken that rule," Tony told Ziva over lunch.

"If you're talking about Jenny," Ziva began, setting down her fork, but Tony interrupted her.

"No, not Jenny. She was the reason that rule twelve was created in the first place," responded Tony. "I'm talking about Hollis Mann."

"Oh, yeah," Ziva said, her face lighting up from recognition. "She worked with us on a few cases."

"And don't forget the pyschiatrist," added Tony. "We all know that they were dating while she was helping us on cases. So, he has no right to dismiss us because we broke rule twelve. It was shattered long beforehand."

"Then, technically, we've done nothing wrong," beamed Ziva. "Tony, sometimes, you are a genius!"

Tony didn't respond. Instead, he grinned at her and finished his pastrami sandwich. Once they were finished with their lunches, Tony and Ziva made their way back to NCIS headquarters. They were feeling quite confident that Gibbs could not fire them due to rule twelve being broken already by the master himself.

As they entered the elevator, Tony could feel the nerves getting the best of him. He glanced over at Ziva, who appeared pale. Not wanting to let her see him like this, Tony placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Ziva," Tony said. "I have your six. I'll always have your six. No matter what. We are in this together."

* * *

The elevator door burst open at that moment. Both McGee and Gibbs were seated at their desks. Gibbs was on the phone with someone. McGee was typing away on his computer. Tony and Ziva took a deep breath and made their way over to Gibbs' desk. They stood there silently as they waited for him to finish his phone call. Once the phone call ended, Gibbs looked up to see Tony and Ziva standing there.

"Yes?" Gibbs asked, questioningly.

"We have something that we want to tell you, boss," said Tony, trying to keep his voice from failing. Tony looked over at McGee. "McComputer should hear this too."

Upon hearing the nickname, McGee grumbled. Muttering about being the butt of Tony's jokes again, he ambled over to the others. Gibbs appeared even more curious than before.

"Am I about to find out why you two have been acting weird?" Gibbs asked.

"So, you have noticed," Tony replied, grinning slightly.

"Of course I did, DiNozzo," growled Gibbs, annoyed. "Why wouldn't I?"

Tony was about to say something when Ziva cut him off.

"I'm just going to get straight to the point. Tony and I are dating," Ziva blurted out.

McGee's eyes went wide. They were the size of dinner plates. Gibbs also seemed surprised, but tried to shake it off.

"I guess that I should have seen that coming," grunted Gibbs.

"Before you say that we can't be together, I'll have you know that—" Tony started before stopping and asked, "What did you just say?"

"I said that I should have seen it coming, DiNozzo," Gibbs repeated a little louder this time.

"I owe Abby twenty dollars," mumbled McGee, unhappily.

"What did you say, McGee?" questioned Ziva, rounding on him.

"Yeah, speak up, McMumbles," Tony chimed in, looking a little angry. "We couldn't hear you."

"Abby said that you two would eventually get together. I told her that was impossible. So, we made a bet," replied McGee, looking nervous and avoiding Ziva and Tony's glare.

Ziva and Tony started closing in on Tim. Gibbs, who was standing by this point, stood between Tony and Tim. Gibbs raised his hands and slapped Tony and Zva on the back of the head. Then, he did the same to McGee. All three came out of their trances and glowered at Gibbs.

"What was that for?" they yelled in unison.

"For keeping secrets and betting against co-workers," Gibbs told them. "I'm going to get coffee."

As Gibbs walked away, Tony turned to the others.

"I wonder if he'll Gibbs-slap Abby?" Tony wondered out loud.

"She's the favorite, Tony," replied Ziva. "So, probably not."

"Speaking of Miss Scuito, we should tell her," Tony said, grinning at Ziva.

"Yes, definitely," agreed Ziva. "And Tim should go with us."

"No, I do not want to be present when she finds out," McGee said, holding up his hands.

"Come on. McTraitor," taunted Tony. "It's time for you to pay up."

"What if I don't want to," inquired Tim, sounding like a child.

Tony and Ziva shared an evil grin. Taking both of McGee's arms, Tony and Ziva frog-marched McGee towards the elevator. They didn't let go of him even when the elevator closed behind them. McGee was coming with them, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

**Looks like Gibbs wasn't mad after all. But how will Abby react? Stay tuned to find out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes: I'm sorry that I didn't update sooner. Been really super busy this week. **

**Thank you for your reviews. Nando2k50, thank you. And Lily, thank you. I have a feeling that Gibbs wouldn't be surprised if they got together on the show either. He's watched them skate around each other for years. **

**I'd apologize about the picking on McGee, but you know Gibbs' rule about apologizing…so I won't. I'll just say that it is harmless taunting between friends. And I'd say that McGee does more than his share on the show…so…yeah…**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Payment**

* * *

Abby beamed as she saw Tony and Ziva enter her lab with McGee in tow. When she noticed that McGee looked annoyed, Tony appeared nervous, and Ziva was anxious, Abby dropped the smile.

"What's going on?" she inquired.

"We have something that we need to tell you," Tony said, tentatively.

"All this tension in the air, you're really starting to spook me, Tony," said Abby, a little teasing. "So, what's the big secret? Did McGee get a dog and is now an avid dog-lover?"

Tony and Ziva half-smiled at that. McGee looked even more annoyed. Everyone present knew that McGee did not mix well with dogs. But that was Abby's way of breaking up the tense atmosphere.

"Ziva and I are a couple," Tony said, feeling a little more relaxed once he said it out loud.

Abby's eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into her ebony hair.

"Does Gibbs know?" she asked, looking wary.

"Yes," replied Ziva. "And he seemed to be okay with it."

Abby issued a squeal and leapt into Tony and Ziva's arms. She embraced them in a bone-crushing hug. Then, after a few minutes, Abby released them and turned to McGee.

"Pay up!" Abby said, grinning triumphantly.

McGee glared at Abby. Reaching his hand into his pants' pocket, McGee pulled out his billfold. He opened it and took out a crisp twenty dollar bill. He handed it over to Abby and put his billfold back into his pocket. However, Tony had other ideas.

"Now, hold on a minute, McGambler," Tony said, a hand on McGee's wrist. "How long ago did you and Abby make the bet?"

McGee mumbled something. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Abby's smile grow wider. Ziva was grinning wickedly as well. _Oh, how I loved her grins_, Tony thought, _Such a devious little Israeli! And she was all mine!_

"Come on, McMutterer," Tony said, "How long ago?"

"Eight years ago," replied McGee, looking at his feet.

"So, we have to account for interest. Hmm, let's see, what is twenty times eight for starters?"

"It's one hundred and sixty," responded Ziva. "And don't forget about interest either."

"Ah, yes, thank you, sweet cheeks," Tony said, nodding towards Ziva. "Interest. Well, a common interest rate is about eighteen percent, which I think is being generous. Don't you, Abs?"

"Very," replied Abby, enjoying messing with McGee a bit.

"So, I think that thirty should be the rate, then," said Tony.

"Oh, come on, that's so unfair!" whined McGee. "How am I supposed to pay that with interest?"

"Easy," responded Abby, simply. "Just pay up. And because I like you, McGee, I'm only going to make you pay the one hundred and sixty."

Grumbling, McGee pulled out his billfold and looked inside. Thirty dollars stared him in the face. He looked up in horror at Abby, who had her hand outstretched with the palm facing up.

"I don't have a hundred and sixty dollars with me right now," responded McGee.

"That's okay," Abby replied. "I take payments. How much do you have right now?"

"Thirty."

"I'll take that," said Abby, snatching the thirty out of McGee's billfold.

"I'm never making a bet with any of you again," muttered McGee, sticking his billfold back into his pocket.

"Now, what on Earth was this bet about?" asked Ducky, who entered the lab with Palmer.

* * *

Abby and McGee glanced over at Tony and Ziva. They looked like a pair of deer in the headlights. It was then that Abby realized that Tony had not told Ducky or Palmer about his relationship with Ziva.

"Abby and McGenius over here made a bet about whether Ziva and I would get together," explained Tony.

"Oh, really," responded Ducky, seeming intrigued. "And who was the victor?"

"Abby," said Ziva, grinning at the medical examiner. "She said that we would get together. McGee did not agree."

"Well, I must say that this is a very roundabout way of telling a friend that you are a couple," said Ducky with a bit of an edge to his voice. He seemed a little angry.

"Sorry, Ducky," said Ziva, looking a little ashamed. "We wanted to tell you some other way. But when you asked what the bet was about—"

"No matter. Truth be told, I shouldn't be surprised. I've watched you two dance around each other for years. It's about time, honestly," Ducky said, waving his hand through the air. "Does Gibbs know that you guys are an item?"

"Yes," replied Tony. "I think he knew before we knew."

"That sounds very much like Jethro," replied Ducky, now smiling.

"Tony and Ziva, I'm so happy for you!" declared Jimmy Palmer. "Breena and I have been looking for a couple to go on a double date with. We would love it if you would go out with us sometime!"

"We'd love to," responded Tony and Ziva, looking very happy.

"Great. How does Saturday sound?" asked Palmer.

"So soon?" questioned Tony.

"Well, yeah. Breena and I have been waiting a long time to find someone. For some reason, no one ever wants to," Palmer responded sadly.

"Saturday sounds lovely," Ziva said, smiling at Palmer. "Tell Breena we can't wait!"

Palmer's face lit up. He looked like a kid in a candy store.

"I've got to tell Breena," said Palmer, digging for his phone in his pocket. "She'll be so pleased."

"I don't know if this is such a grand idea," whispered Tony, while Jimmy talked on the phone.

"Oh, it'll be nice to spend time with another couple, Tony," whispered Ziva. "And Jimmy and Breena are very nice. It'll be a good time."

"Yeah, sure it will be," muttered Tony, skeptically.

* * *

**Dunno how much longer this will be. Wasn't planning on making this super long. But the double date will be next. So stay tuned. Meanwhile, let me know how I am doing. Good or bad. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes: Looks like Tony and Ziva are going on a dinner date with Breena and Jimmy. What awkward hilarity will ensue? Find out soon.**

**Since Breena appears rarely on NCIS, I have no idea how to be in character with her. So, I'm just going to go off of my impression of her.**

**Special thanks to nando2k50, Gilmoregirlsbones, and last but not least Lily. Nando2k50, I'm glad that you liked it. I was imagining the scene in my head as I was writing it, and laughed. Gilmoregirlsbones, will do. Though I have no idea how much longer this will be. Lily, I've always felt that it's a good idea to respond to those who review. Let them know that their voice is heard. Jimmy used to make me feel the same way, but now I see that his jokes are his way of trying to fit in. Which endears him to me.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: That Awkward Moment**

* * *

"Do we really have to do this," grumbled Tony as he fixed the collar of his shirt.

"Yes, we do," Ziva replied, putting on eyeshadow.

"But the autopsy gremlin—"

"His name is Jimmy, and he's our friend, Tony," scolded Ziva. "Breena and Jimmy are both our friends."

"I forgot about Breena," Tony said in a dreamy voice that matched his gaze. Rolling her eyes, Ziva elbowed Tony in the sides. "Ooof, what was that for?" he asked.

"For being a pig," responded Ziva, looking venomous.

"Oh, come on, sweet cheeks, I'm just acknowledging a beautiful woman," whined Tony, rubbing his sides. "It's not like I'd ever do anything about it. I'm with you."

"Then, act like it," said Ziva, angrily.

That shut Tony up. He didn't say a word the entire time that they finished getting ready. When Ziva asked him to help fasten her necklace, Tony did so. As Ziva mumbled her thanks, they heard a car horn honk outside.

"That'll be Jimmy and Breena," said Ziva. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," said Tony, clutching Ziva's hand. "Let's get this over with."

"Do you think that they are coming?" Jimmy asked his wife in a panicked voice. "What if they decided to bail on us? I don't see Ziva's car. What if it's only Tony and—"

"Calm down, Jimbug," said Breena, placing a hand on his arm. "It's only been a couple of minutes. I'm sure that they are on their way now."

"Are you sure, Bree-bear?" questioned Jimmy, looking terrified. "I'm just so worried. I want everything to go smoothly."

"And it will, Jimmy," added Breena, smiling. "Once you calm down. And look, here they come! Hi Ziva! Hi Tony! You guys look fantastic!"

* * *

Tony and Ziva exchanged pleasantries with Breena and Jimmy. Tony was very impressed with Jimmy's car. In all of the time that he had worked with Mister Palmer, Tony had never actually seen his car. It was a classic sports car, a 1966 Austin Healy to be exact. The fire engine red paint job was superb. Tony ogled the car as though he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

"I thought that you might like it," said Jimmy, grinning broadly.

"Like it? I love it!" exclaimed Tony, eyes wide. "I never thought that you'd be a car guy, Palmer. Wow!"

"Well, when you spend a lot of time with the good doctor, you build up an appreciation for a lot of things," responded Jimmy.

_Boy, have I misjudged Palmer or what?_ thought Tony. _Just when you think that you know some people, they surprise you._

"So, where are we going this evening?" asked Ziva, trying to steer the attention away from the car.

"There's this nightclub called the Golden Hydra. It's a really great place. Great food. Great atmosphere. Great dance music. We wanted to take you guys there," said Breena, eyes dancing with excitement.

"Sounds wonderful," beamed Tony.

"I'm so glad that you think so, Tony," replied Breena. "Now, let's get going before we die of old age."

Tony and Ziva exchanged a look of raised eyebrows, but said nothing. Jimmy started driving the car. He was a very careful driver, but Tony thought that he'd be a catious driver too if he owned Jimmy's car. A car like that couldn't possibly be cheap. Tony wondered how Jimmy could afford it. He made a mental note to ask. His curiosity was getting the better of him.

They arrived at their destination. The Golden Hydra was packed to the brim with people. People who were dressed in togas. Tony and Ziva were perplexed. They wondered what they'd gotten themselves into.

"Oh, no, I forgot that tonight was toga night," said Palmer, sadly.

"Toga night?" questioned Ziva, eyebrows raised. "Is this a common occurrence?"

"Yeah, but only once a month," replied Breena, looking downcast. "Usually, people wear normal clothing."

"Yeah," said Jimmy, looking equally downtrodden. "We'll understand if you want to go somewhere else. I mean, we have extra togas, so it'd be no big deal if you don't want to go somewhere else, but—"

Not wanting to be rude, Tony and Ziva agreed to don the togas. After finding a place to change, the foursome made their way into the Golden Hydra. It was almost exactly like ancient Greece, as potrayed in all of the movies Tony watched. Except that modern music played instead of lutes and drums. Waiters and waitresses in golden togas carried large platefuls of food to their designated tables. Tony sniffed the air as a roasted pig on a platter sailed by.

"Let's go find a table," said Jimmy, leading the way.

* * *

After sitting down at an empty table, the foursome ordered their meals and drinks. While waiting on the food, they got to know each other a little better. Not only was Jimmy an avid car guy, he really enjoyed basketball. He admitted that he wasn't good at it, though. Tony suggested that they shoot hoops sometime, and Palmer consented. Meanwhile, Breena and Ziva bonded over their love of books. Breena even invited Ziva to her book club.

"We meet one Sunday a month," said Breena. "The book this month is a classic. It's Pride and Prejudice."

"Oh, I loved that book!" declared Ziva. "Mister Darcy was amazing! I love how he helped Miss Elizabeth along the way. And then, she realized at the end how much of a fool she was."

An exceptionally handsome patron came over to their table. He looked briefly at Ziva before locking eyes with Breena. He smiled, showing off his pearly whites.

"Hello, lovely. I couldn't help over hearing the conversation. It's so rare to find anyone who talks about books anymore. Especially one as gorgeous as yourself."

"Is that all you wanted to come over here for? To flirt with me?" inquired Breena, frowning at the handsome man. "If so, you are wasting your time. I'm here with someone," Breena indicated Jimmy, who was chatting with Tony.

"You came here with him, but I can assure you that you'll be leaving with me," responded the man, winking.

Breena shook her head.

"Didn't you hear what she said?" asked Ziva, her voice rising in anger. "She's with someone. And so am I."

The handsome man frowned.

"I'm not taking no for an answer," growled the man. "She's going home with me. Not with that loser."

As the man pointed his finger at Jimmy, Tony glared at the man. He cut into the conversation.

"What's going on here?" asked Tony, furious.

"This man will not take no for an answer," said Ziva, pointing at the handsome stranger. "After Breena repeatedly told him that she was taken."

"I just don't understand how someone like her could be with someone like him," replied the stranger. "I mean, I know that drunk chicks go for ugly guys all of the time, but he takes the cake."

"Well, believe it, pal," stated Jimmy. "Breena and I are married." He flashed the ring on his finger as Breena did the same. "And I believe that she told you to leave her alone. So, here is what you are going to do. You are going to walk away, and find some other girl to hit on. You will never approach me or Breena again. Or else."

"Or else what?" inquired the man, threateningly.

"I have a friend who can kill you and never leave a shred of evidence behind," Palmer warned. "Use your imagination."

The handsome man's eye grew to the size of truck wheels. Quickly, he ran away from their table. Jimmy watched the man with a bemused smile on his face. He turned to see Tony and Ziva's shell-shocked faces. Breena was looking at Jimmy adoringly.

"Jimmy, that was so—" Ziva said, stunned.

"Bad ass," finished Tony, admiring the autopsy gremlin. "You gave me chills."

Jimmy flushed with embarrassment. The rest of the night went well. When it was over, the foursome agreed to make plans again soon. When Tony arrived at home that night, he reflected back on tonight's events. He thought that he knew Jimmy Palmer, but now he knew that he did not. He was full of surprises. Tony had seriously misjudged him. Who knew that Jimmy could be so cool? He wondered if it was Breena's doing. He'd never spent much time with the two of them. Just Palmer. So Tony didn't really know what he was like outside of work. As Tony drifted off to sleep, he thought about the old addage being true. You really could not judge a book by its' cover.

* * *

**Well, that was fun. I hope that you guys enjoyed that. It's a little bit longer than my other posts. And I hope Breena wasn't too out of character. But enough of my thoughts, let's hear yours. You know what to do!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes: Tony and Palmer bonding was totally unexpected. But I really enjoyed writing that. I think that even though Tony gives Palmer crap on the show, I believe Tony would actually hit it off well with Palmer. If the occasion were ever to present itself.**

**My health has prevented me from updating lately. That, and work. But I'm off today so I am going to try and post this.**

**Special thanks to: Wisegirl71301. Nando2k50, I hope so too. I think that it's a beautiful friendship in the making. Lily, I'm really glad that you thought so. Characters that don't appear much in the show/stories are pretty difficult to do correctly. But they are very fun to portray too. And you must have read my mind because I was thinking about doing another Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva scene. With that being said, I think some random silliness is just what the doctor ordered.**

**Sorry about all of the McGee pranking. Truth be told, I really like McGee. I think Tony plays tricks on McGee because he really likes him. In a sort of big brotherly way.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: At It Again!**

* * *

"No, no way, Tony," whispered Ziva.

"Oh, come on, sweet cheeks," Tony said, flashing a heart-melting smile at her. "It'll be fun."

"I don't know if I like your definition of fun," said Ziva, looking wary of Tony.

"You seemed perfectly okay with my type of fun last night," replied Tony, waggling his eyebrows.

Ziva made a fist. She punched Tony's left arm. Tony shouted as the fist collided with his arm. He rubbed the spot tenderly.

"That hurt," he whined, pouting.

"That's nothing compared to what McGee will do if he finds out what you did to his computer," said Ziva, eyes dancing dangerously.

"What did I tell you about super gluing McGee's fingers to his computer, DiNozzo?" asked Gibbs, who was standing right behind them.

Tony turned to face his angry boss.

"I didn't do it," stated Tony, trying to look innocent. Gibbs gave Tony a very stern look. Tony added, "No, really, I didn't."

Gibbs turns his steely gaze away from Tony to Ziva. Ziva held her hands up.

"Oh, no, I am not being blamed for this one," Ziva responded. "It was all Tony's doing, not mine."

"Liar," Tony hissed. "You came up with the idea."

"But you're the one who actually did it," growled Ziva.

"If I recall, that's not all that I did," declared Tony, grinning devilishly.

Gibbs groaned while Ziva shared Tony's grin.

"I did not need to hear that, DiNozzo," Gibbs muttered.

* * *

Tony was about to apologize when he heard a loud scream from across the room. It was then followed by a string of curses, and shouts of a certain special agent's name. Tony grinned widely at Ziva and Gibbs. Gibbs, who was unimpressed, gave DiNozzo a slap to the back of his head. Ziva laughed, and Gibbs did the same to her.

Neither agent asked what the slap had been for. They both knew. Sure, Gibbs was okay with them dating, but he didn't enjoy hearing about the details. It was just a little too much to handle. Seeing Tony and Ziva together brought back memories of Jenny Shepard. Two years had passed since her death, and Gibbs still thought about her. Mostly, Gibbs thought about their illicit affair. But sometimes, he thought about how he wished he'd been able to save her. He wished that she'd been able to confide in him that she was ill. After everything that they'd been through, Gibbs felt that she had owed him that much.

Gibbs was ousted from his thoughts by McGee. Special Agent McGee appeared very angry. Behind McGee, Tony stood. Tony was still grinning. Ziva was smirking in the background. Gibbs sighed.

"What did he do now, Elf Lord?" questioned Gibbs.

"This," said McGee, pointing to his computer screen.

The screen on McGee's computer displayed a picture of a clown. The clown had bulging eyes and a broad smile. The clown would disappear and reappear. Each time that it appeared, the clown would be cackling maniacally. Before it would vanish, the clown would blow a wet raspberry. Gibbs tried very hard not to smile, and failed.

"It's just a clown, McGee," said Gibbs. "Can't you get it off?"

"No, I can't," said McGee, looking annoyed. "I've tried everything, but the clown will not go away."

Tony doubled over with laughter. Ziva was forcing herself to not laugh. Like Gibbs, she was finding it very difficult to do so. McGee looked desperate. The clown was driving him nuts. He wanted to find a way to get it off of his computer.

"Okay, joke is over, Tony. Can you take the clown off of my computer now?" declared McGee, glaring at the Senior Agent.

"Why, McDesperation? Are you terrified of clowns?" questioned Tony, grinning.

"No, but I know that you are," McGee retorted, looking smug.

The grin instantly vanished from Tony's face. His eyes were wide with fear. His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"How did you know—"

Tony's eyes automatically fell upon Ziva. After all, she was the only one that knew his secret.

"YOU!" Tony yelled, pointing at Ziva. "I told you that in confidence!"

"Sorry, Tony. It flipped," said Ziva, apologetically.

"Slipped, Ziva," he corrected her. "And how does something like that just slip?"

"McGee and I were talking about things that we were afraid of, and I happened to mention that you were scared of clowns. No big deal," Ziva answered, looking sheepish.

"No big deal," said Tony, voice rising. "It is a very big deal. My manhood is at stake."

"Oh, so sorry," said Ziva sarcastically. "I didn't realize it was such a fragile thing."

"It is," said Tony, sounding wounded.

"I'll make it up to you," said Ziva. "Dinner on me tonight? I'll cook whatever you want."

The promise of a home-cooked meal brightened Tony's expression.

"Sounds good," said Tony, thinking of the delicious meal to come. "How about lasagna? I could really go for some great lasagna."

"Lasagna it is," agreed Ziva. Then, she turned to Gibbs and McGee. "Want to join us?"

"Sure," said McGee. "I'll bring Abby. She loves lasagna."

"The more the furrier," stated Ziva.

"The more the merrier," McGee corrected her, "but I get it."

"I'll go ask Ducky and Palmer," said Tony, walking away.

"Tony, before you go, I have a surprise for you," said McGee.

Intrigued, Tony strode back over to where McGee was seated.

"The surprise is over at your desk," McGee said, pointedly.

Curious, Tony sauntered back over to his desk. He started rummaging through his drawers. When he didn't find anything, he looked on his desk. It was at that time, Tony heard a noise. Tony looked up and quickly backed away. The same clown that Tony had put on McGee's computer had appeared on his. Everyone in the vicinity chuckled as Tony leapt away from his computer in fright. McGee was loudest of all.

When Tony emerged from behind his desk, his face was a bright crimson. He had never been more embarrassed in his lifetime. However, Tony did have to give McGee his due. It was a pretty good prank, and he hadn't been expecting it.

"I'll get you, McPrankypants, and your little dog too," exclaimed Tony.

* * *

**Yay! McGee is a prankster after all. So what did you guys think? Let me know, okay?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Notes: I must say, I really enjoyed that last chapter. McGee turning the tables on DiNozzo was pretty funny. **

**Thanks to all who reviewed. **

**Nando2k50: Thank you. I do my best. As far as fears go, everyone is afraid of something. For example, I'm terrified of spiders. Doesn't matter what size. I'm afraid of them. They creep me out. I can't stand the way they crawl. It's nothing to be ashamed about. I just accept it as part of myself that makes me who I am. =)**

**Lily: Truth be told, I got carried away with this chapter. I totally forgot that Ziva doesn't make mistakes anymore in regards to speech. Being in America for as long as she has been, it makes more sense that she wouldn't make the mistakes that she did before. Not going to fret over it, though. It is what it is. =)**

**Oh and there's minor cursing in this chapter. Just a heads up! But that's what the T rating is for. And for the story's sake, Ziva lives in a house.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Smells Like Lasagna Filled Confessions**

* * *

It was almost seven o' clock. To be precise, it was fifteen minutes till seven. Ziva was in the kitchen. She was watching the timer and waiting for it to go off. Tony was in the kitchen with Ziva. He was eyeing the lasagna baking in the oven. Drool dribbled down his chin as he watched the cheese bubble to melted perfection. Tony licked his lips. The anticipation was killing him. He couldn't wait to dive into the lasagna.

_Now I know how Garfield feels,_ Tony thought as he gazed at the lasagna.

The timer issued a loud noise. Ziva placed oven mitts over her hands before opening the door. She pulled the rack out and lifted the lasagna platter. Placing the lasagna onto the table to cool, Ziva closed the oven door. Tony kept shooting the lasagna loving looks, which were not missed by the Israeli.

"Not until everyone has arrived or else," Ziva warned, taking off the oven mitts.

"Wouldn't think of it," said Tony in his most innocent voice.

Ziva chuckled. She hardly believed that he was being truthful. For eight years, she had known him. In this time, Tony had not changed too drastically. He was still the same guy, just with a few changes. Those changes were the sort of things that come with age. For example, Tony was less of a prankster than he was eight years ago. Sure, he still pranked people, mostly McGee, but it was less often. Also, there was the fact that he wasn't looking for one-night stands anymore. Ziva knew that she had something to do with that. She knew that getting involved with Tony wasn't something that lasted a night. Their relationship was much more than that. They were both getting too old for it to be anything less.

But could Ziva really see herself settling down with DiNozzo? She wasn't sure. Ziva had always envisioned the man that she would give her life to being more serious. Tony was too much of a goofball to fit the bill. Even with his transformation in the past three years, Tony seemed too carefree.

However, maybe Tony was exactly right for the job? There was that old adage that opposites attract. Perhaps that is what brought them together in the first place? Maybe a higher power was trying to tell them something? That with Ziva's need to be serious and Tony's desire to have fun, they completed each other.

* * *

It had been six months since Tony and Ziva had gotten together. But it felt as though they had been dating for years. They knew practically everything about each other. Working so close to someone for so long, it was hard not to even if they weren't dating. Their relationship just made it easier for them to connect in a way that wouldn't have been possible prior. Not to mention, Ziva knew that Tony would always have her back. And she would always have his as well.

Ziva's reflections came to an end when she heard a knock on the door. After telling Tony not to touch the lasagna, Ziva answered the door. It seemed that everyone arrived at the same time. Abby was clutching McGee's arm. Palmer and Breena were holding hands. Gibbs and Ducky were standing side by side with Vance bringing up the rear. Greetings were given before everyone entered the living room. A table with seating for nine was the main focus of the room.

"Where's Tony?" questioned Ducky, looking around.

"He's in the kitchen guarding the lasagna," explained Ziva, smiling.

"Guarding or hoarding," asked McGee, while everyone else snickered.

"I heard that McFunnyPants," called Tony from the kitchen.

"Maybe you could make yourself useful and bring in the lasagna? Instead of drooling all over it," suggested Ziva. "And don't forget to use the oven mitts. The platter is still really warm."

"I'm on it, sweet cheeks," replied Tony.

There was a rustling sound coming from the kitchen. Seconds later, Tony emerged carrying the lasagna. He placed it at the center of the table. After serving everyone their portions, Tony sat down between Gibbs and Palmer. Ziva, who was seated across from him, grinned. Not a whole lot of talking went on while they ate. It was only after the lasagna was finished that the conversation started. Tony and Palmer were discussing last night's basketball game. McGee and Abby were deep in discussion. Breena, Ziva, Gibbs, Ducky, and Vance chatted amongst themselves. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw McGee give Abby a little peck on the cheek. Normally, he would think nothing of it, but the Senior Field Agent was suspicious. Something was definitely going on between those two. And he wasn't the only one to notice it. When Palmer saw the kiss, he said what Tony was thinking.

"So, you two are together now?" Palmer said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

* * *

Abby and McGee started stuttering. Both shifted their gaze so that they didn't have to look anyone in the eyes. Their guilty looks didn't help their cases much. It just added fuel to the fire.

"You caught us," admitted Abby. "We were trying to see how long that we could hide it."

"Why does everyone feel the need to keep secrets all of a sudden?" questioned Gibbs, looking miffed.

"We were going to tell you guys," stated McGee, looking at everyone in turn. "We just wanted to wait for the best time."

"Well, there's no time like the present, Timothy," declared Ducky. "Why, I recall a time in London, when I was in school that I fell in love with an older woman. She was a grad student, brilliant girl, very fascinating. She was a teacher's aide, and it was deemed inappropriate at the time for her to date a student since she was employed there. We kept our affair a secret until one day, one of the faculty members caught us in an empty classroom. He threatened to tell the dean if she didn't agree to go out with him. Unfortunately for me, she agreed to date the faculty member. It was a sad day for me, but I learned an important lesson. Love is very fickle."

"Don't worry, Ducky, I have no intention of hurting Abby," said McGee, grinning at the Goth.

"Oh, I'm sure that you're intentions are good with Miss Sciuto," replied Ducky, smiling. "Jethro wouldn't allow anything less."

"Damn straight!" exclaimed Gibbs.

"What about you, Director?" questioned Abby, hesitantly. "I'd like to hear what you have to say."

All eyes were on Director Vance. Throughout the whole conversation, he had been quiet. Everyone was curious about his take on the new couple.

"As long as this relationship doesn't interfere with your work at NCIS, I see no reason to complain," stated the Director. "And you can call me Leon outside of the office."

Abby and McGee issued twin sighs of relief. Everyone seemed to relax a bit. It was this moment that Jimmy stood up.

"I have an announcement of my own," Jimmy told everyone. He clasped Breena's hand in his. "Breena and I are going to have a baby!"

Many cries of joy were heard. Everyone congratulated the happy couple. Jimmy and Breena beamed at their friends. Both were glowing with happiness.

"Tony and Ziva, we'd like for you to be the godparents," said Breena.

"We'd love to!" exclaimed Tony and Ziva making Breena and Jimmy grin from ear to ear.

By eleven o' clock, only Tony and Ziva were left in the house. Ziva had already cleaned and put away all of the dishes. Tony was brushing his teeth and getting ready for sleep. His eyes were already closed by the time that Ziva joined him in bed. As she got underneath the covers, Ziva draped an arm over Tony. In this position, Ziva quickly fell asleep. The day had been a success. Life was good for the former Mossad agent. It was very good indeed.

* * *

**So many announcements! Tony and Ziva are godparents! And Abby and McGee are together! What do you think? Do you like it? Let me know. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes: Looks like we have another couple. McAbby is probably my second favorite NCIS pairing. (Tiva is obviously my first lol.) And Palmer and Breena are having a baby! Will they make good parents? And will Tony and Ziva be good godparents. Well, you'll have to wait and see. I'm not quite there yet.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed the story! It means a lot to me that you guys care!**

**Nando2k50: Thank you, once again! I'm pleased that you are continuing to enjoy the story!**

**Tellher96: Hello and thank you! And I will.**

**NCISTivalover1: We'll just call her You-Know-Who then, shall we? I'm glad that you are interested in reading further. I hope that it continues. Also, I think that if the opportunity presented itself, he might give Ziva a Gibbs-slap. But only if it does. ;)**

**Things are going to be a little more serious in this chapter. It won't be anything like the previous chapter. Not a whole lot of fluffy happiness to go around. You have been warned.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Need to Know**

* * *

Ziva was having difficulty focusing today. Which was very unusual for the Israeli. Normally, focus wasn't one of her issues. But that had changed here recently. She was moving into a new stage in her relationship with Tony. Things were becoming much more serious, and she was starting to question herself. Ziva wondered how much longer this relationship would last. Tony wasn't known to having long-lasting relationships with women. Tony's longest relationship had only lasted that long because he needed to get close to the girl's father. Whether or not Tony had been with Jeanne because he loved her, was not known to Ziva. All Ziva knew was that DiNozzo's track record with women was not good. If history was to repeat itself, Ziva knew that she would be single again by the end of this month.

It frustrated Ziva that she could not keep the bad thoughts out of her head. Every time that she looked at DiNozzo today, Ziva glared at him. She just could not help it. How dare he make her feel this way! He's the one that put them into this position in the first place. She warned him about rule twelve, but Tony did not wish to listen. If only he had. Then, Ziva knew that she would not be in this mess. They would probably still be doing the same tango they'd been doing for several years. Or would they?

No, Ziva decided, they would not. They would be nothing more than co-workers. Maybe friends, but definitely nothing more. Because that night of the stake-out had been the turning point. That was the night that changed everything. And if things were to change again, it could never be the same. Ziva wondered if they'd even be able to go back to being just friends. Probably not, she decided again. Secretly, they would both want to be more, and it wouldn't happen. Nor would it end well for either party.

"Why do you keep glaring at Tony," questioned McGee, confused. "Did he say or do something? Because I can believe it if he did. It is Tony we're talking about?"

"I have not been glaring at Tony," Ziva lied.

"I dunno, Ziva, McScooby-Doo might be onto something," said Tony, frowning. "You have been acting mighty peculiar today."

"It's a personal matter that I'll discuss with you later, Tony," replied Ziva, looking embarrassed.

"But why not now?" asked DiNozzo, curious and concerned. "We're all family here. You can't say what you need to say in front of the Elf Lord?"

"At work is not the appropriate place for this discussion," hissed Ziva through gritted teeth.

"Oh, trouble in paradise, I see," McGee replied with a little smirk.

"Can it, Probie-Wan-Kenobi," growled Tony. McGee scowled at Tony and didn't say another word. Tony softened his tone of voice when he turned to speak to Ziva. He looked at his watch and then back at her. "It's lunchtime. Can we talk about this over food?"

"Sure," Ziva replied. "How about Gunther's?"

"You read my mind," said Tony, smiling at his girlfriend. "I was just thinking that some good German food was just what the doctor ordered."

Ziva gave Tony a shadow of a smile. They took the elevator downstairs and made their way to the parking garage. Tony held the door open for Ziva before getting into the car too.

* * *

Tony knew that he would be lying to himself if he said that he wasn't nervous. He didn't know what was on Ziva's mind. It worried him that she couldn't tell him in front of McGee. Whatever it was, it had to be bad for that to happen.

Gunther's wasn't very busy when they arrived. They were quickly seated by a waiter wearing lederhosen. After taking their order, the waiter vanished and left Ziva and Tony alone. Tony took this opportunity to break the ice.

"What's going on, Ziva?" inquired Tony, looking worried.

"Us," responded Ziva. "What exactly is this that we have, and how long is it going to last? You don't exactly have the best record of long relationships. And I don't want to find myself single again after you decide that you've had enough of me. I want to know where we stand. What's going to happen to this relationship, Tony?"

Tony chuckled. He took Ziva's hands into his.

"Ziva, I told you from the beginning that you mean so much more to me than some one-night stand or silly fling. I'm getting too old for those. I'm ready to have a relationship with someone, and I want that someone to be you. As for what we have, well, we have something very special. And I don't plan on letting go of it any time soon."

"No one ever plans on allowing things to happen, they just do," stated Ziva, sadly. "How can you be certain that nothing will happen?"

"Because I know that I have never felt this way about anyone before. All of those failed relationships, all they did was lead me to you," Tony replied. "I've been meaning to say this for a while, but I couldn't find the right time. I waited for the perfect moment to say this, and I think that right now is that moment. Ziva David, I love you. With all of my heart."

Ziva was stunned. After all, it was the first time that Tony had ever said that he loved her. She was even more shocked that he had said it first. Ziva was certain that she would be the first to say it. Tony was very hesitant about using the love word. So, she knew that he must really mean it if he's using it now. Otherwise, he wouldn't bother.

Tony watched Ziva. He was waiting for her to say something back. It was the first time that he'd ever poured his heart out for a woman. Now, he was waiting with bated breath to see if she felt the same. After what felt like an eternity, Ziva spoke again.

"It's really comforting to hear you say that, Tony. All of it. I just really needed some confirmation that our feelings were mutual."

"Are you saying that you love me too, Ziva?" inquired Tony, gazing into Ziva's eyes hopefully.

"Yes," said Ziva, grinning. "Tony, I love you. I'm so happy that we are together. And I hope that it continues on for a long, long time."

"I hope so too, Ziva," agreed Tony.

Their food came and all talking ceased. As they ate their lunch, Tony and Ziva kept shooting loving glances at each other. Now that it was finally out there, Ziva felt as though she could relax. An enormous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was no longer troubled with thoughts that DiNozzo would leave her. He was here to stay. That was assured.

* * *

**Okay, so maybe there was a little bit of fluff, but it was still different from the previous chapter. And I enjoyed writing it! But I'd really like to know what you guys thought of it. I always love reading your comments. It helps me make this story better.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Notes: Yay! Ziva finally confronted Tony about their relationship. And Tony told Ziva that he loved her for the first time! How will things go moving forward? Stay tuned to find out.**

**Thanks to all who reviewed, followed, or favorited this story! Nando2k50, I think that in both of their lives, so much bad stuff has happened that they are unable to let go, and allow something good happen without over-analyzing. Almost as if they feel that they are undeserving, even though they are not. You'll soon see, my friend, what Tim's reaction is. =)**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Envy**

* * *

"I see that you two patched things up," said Tim, smiling at the happy couple.

"We worked out our differences," replied Ziva, glancing at her boyfriend and then back at Tim. "It was just a minor miscommunication issue."

"Good, because Gibbs would've killed you both if you ended your relationship," McGee replied. "It would've slaughtered the team dynamic."

"You're one to talk, McProbie," stated DiNozzo. "Aren't you and a certain Goth dating? What would Gibbs say if you ended that relationship…again?"

"I would probably be six foot under," responded Tim.

No one disagreed with him. Abby Scuito was the favorite of the group. Everybody knew that. Nobody could harm Abby. Not with Gibbs around. Not even unintentionally. Tony actually felt sorry for McGee. If McGee screwed up, he would have Gibbs on his behind. Not something that anyone would wish for.

"By the way, do you and Ziva have any plans for tonight?" questioned McGee, waiting for the senior field agent's response.

"No, not plans together, anyways. But Palmer and I were going to watch the Lakers—Heat game at my place," said Tony. "And Ziva is going to Breena's book club meeting."

"Since when are you and Palmer so close?" inquired McGee with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't think that you two had a lot in common."

"I didn't either till a few months ago," said Tony, reflecting briefly on that night at the Golden Hydra. Tony's face fell into a frown. "But I didn't think that you really liked basketball all that much. Hey, wait, I know what this is about. You're jealous, aren't you, McGee?"

"Jealous of what, exactly," said McGee, trying to sound anything but envious. Tony wasn't falling for it. He grinned widely. McGee was caught.

"You are!" he exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "You're jealous of my friendship with Jimmy!"

"I am not," declared McGee, looking embarrassed.

"He's right, McGee," chimed Ziva, grinning devilishly. "You have all of the symptoms of being green with envy."

"There's plenty of DiNozzo to go around," announced DiNozzo, arms wide open. "No need to be jealous of the time I spend with Jimmy. You're still my favorite probie."

"I'm past being a probie, Tony," retorted McGee. "I'm a special agent, too."

"But I outrank you, McJealousy," Tony reminded him. "Therefore, you will always be my probie. Anyway, if it really bothers you, how about you come over to my place tonight, too? Just us boys. It'll be fun."

McGee looked wary. But how could he pass on this opportunity? It was rare that Tony asked him to do something outside of work. Truth be told, McGee was a little envious of the time Tony was spending with Palmer. Even though he'd never admit to it, McGee wanted to be spending time with Tony. Despite the fact that Tony could be very irritating at times, McGee considered him a friend.

"Okay," agreed McGee.

"Great! Game starts at six, so feel free to come over then," said DiNozzo, slapping McGee lightly on the back.

"I'd better go tell Abby," said McGee. "She'll want to know that there's been a change of plans."

* * *

Before Tony and Ziva could say anything else, McGee was gone. The elevator door closed behind him. McGee found Abby organizing DNA samples from their current case. Quietly, he snuck up behind her. However, she heard him coming anyway.

"Hi, Tim!" said Abby, brightly.

"How did you know that it was me?" questioned McGee.

"I'd know those shuffling footsteps anywhere," Abby responded, grinning at her boyfriend. "So, what's up? Did you ask Ziva and Tony? What did they say?"

"They both have plans tonight," Tim informed her. Abby's expression fell. "Tony is watching a basketball game with Jimmy, and Ziva is going to Breena's book club meeting."

"Bummer," said Abby, sadly. "Well, maybe we could do something?"

"Tony invited me to his place to watch the game," Tim told her. "And I accepted."

"How long does the game last? Maybe we could do something afterwards?" suggested Abby, smiling.

"It starts at six and last a few hours normally, so it could end at ten or eleven," McGee explained.

"Plenty of time for us to do something together, then," replied Abby.

"What do you have in mind?" inquired McGee, also grinning.

"A little bit of this and that," Abby stated.

"I think that I like the sound of that," said McGee.

"Well, then, it's a date," beamed Abby. "See you at eleven."

"You can count on it," responded McGee.

Still grinning, McGee walked out of the lab. He wanted to kiss Abby, but he knew that it was a bad idea. Showing affection at the workplace was never a good idea. And McGee always felt that his private life and work life should be separate. Plus, he wasn't big on public displays of affection anyway. So, he decided that walking away now was the best option. But he couldn't wait for tonight. Actually, he couldn't wait to see what Abby had planned. Tonight was definitely going to be a wonderful night. McGee just knew it.

* * *

**So, what did you think about that? Kinda a cute little chapter huh? **


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Notes: Yay! Timmy, Jimmy, and Tony are bonding. But poor Abby. Every time that she asks to do something with Tony and Ziva, someone else has already made plans with them. I think that needs to change.**

**This is going to be another fluffy chapter. So be warned. **

**Special thanks to Nando2k50 and middawn for reviewing. I love bromances. They're so much fun to write. Lol.**

**I haven't abandoned this story. I just don't have time to post every day. I would like to, but it isn't possible. So, if I don't post for a while, I haven't given up. I'm just busy.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Telephone**

* * *

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" asked Palmer, holding the cell phone to his ear.

"Of course," responded Breena, who was on the other line. "Ziva's perfect for the job."

"It's not that I don't trust her," stated Jimmy. "It's just that I don't think she knows how to throw a baby shower."

"Oh, nonsense, Jimmy," declared Breena. "I'm sure that they have baby showers in Israel. Just because she used to be a Mossad officer doesn't mean that they didn't have baby showers."

"But what if she gives a gun as a gift for the baby?" questioned Palmer, still worried. "What if—"

"You make it sound like Ziva has no sense at all," Breena interrupted him. "Anyway, if it'll make you feel better, you can ask Abby to help out. Abby knows all about baby showers. I'm sure that Ziva won't mind."

"Okay," replied Jimmy, getting more relaxed. "I will ask them both then."

"Great. I'll see you later, Jimbug. Love you."

"Love you too, Bree-bear."

Jimmy hung up the phone. He placed it back into his pocket. He was standing outside of Tony and Ziva's place. Jimmy knocked his knuckles against the metal door and waited. It was Ziva who answered the door a few seconds later. She was wearing a blue sports bra and gray sweat pants. Her face was flushed and trickles of sweat poured down her face.

"Hello Jimmy," said Ziva, wiping her face off with a towel.

"Hi Ziva," replied Jimmy, grinning at her. "Did you just finish a run?"

"Yes, I did," replied Ziva. "I'm training for a half-marathon. It's at the end of this month." She wiped her face again and looked at Jimmy. "What brings you here?"

"Breena wanted me to ask you if you'd throw her a baby shower," said Jimmy, awaiting her answer. "She wanted to ask you herself but—"

"It is quite alright, Jimmy," said Ziva, cutting in. She beamed. "I would love to give her a baby shower. Can I ask Abby to help? I do not know much about American-style showers."

_This is working out better than I planned,_ though Jimmy, happily.

"Yes, of course," said Jimmy. "I'm sure that Breena won't mind."

"Splendid," cried Ziva. "I'll go call Abby right now. She'll be thrilled!"

As they said their goodbyes, Jimmy wondered what he'd gotten himself and Breena into. Ziva and Abby were both really nice, but he could only imagine what they would put together. Especially if his bachelor's party was any indication. Jimmy decided then and there that he did not want to be present for the shower. He started formulating a plan to where he would be having a guys' day on the day of the shower.

DiNozzo answered his phone right away. When he heard about Jimmy's plan, he instantly jumped on board. McGee was next. It didn't take much convincing to get him to agree. He knew exactly what the two women could be like when working together. And he wanted no part in the end result. Jimmy called a couple of friends from medical school, whom he still kept in contact with. They agreed to help him out. Jimmy felt a lot better. He knew that he wouldn't have to be a part of any of it. Jimmy felt kind of sorry for his wife. She had no idea what sort of menagerie that Abby and Ziva were capable of cooking up.

* * *

"Abby, you have to help me," Ziva told the Goth over the phone.

"What's wrong, Ziva?" asked Abby, sounding concerned. "Are you in some sort of trouble? Is Tony in trouble? Is he being tortured? Ar-Are you being tortured?"

"No, it is not anything like that," said Ziva, shaking her head. "I just agreed to throw a baby shower for Breena."

"Well, that's wonderful!" exclaimed Abby.

"I don't know how to throw a baby shower, Abby," Ziva explained. "I've been to a few, but that was when I was little. And I don't remember much from them."

"Don't worry," soothed Abby. "I'll help you. Together, we'll make it a great baby shower for Breena. She'll love it!"

"Thank you, Abby," said Ziva, almost sighing with relief.

After agreeing to meet up, Ziva hung up the phone. At first, she had been worried, but now she was not. Breena was a good friend. Ziva wanted to throw the best party ever for her. She deserved it. With Abby's help, Ziva felt as though she'd be able to do that.

* * *

**Team Tabby! Yeah!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Notes: I am all for Team Zabby holding a baby shower for Breena. I just realized that when I said Tabby in the last chapter, it should have been Zabby. Sorry about the typo, folks. Guess I should have checked it. **

**Anyway, we are going to go into a different direction with this chapter. This will be a more Tony-centric chapter. Meaning that it will still be in third-person, but Tony will be the main focus. That's just where my muse has taken me. So, I will obey it and write this chapter out.**

**I apologize ahead of time if anything is out of character. There are only a few episodes of NCIS that I have watched more than twice. I might have missed something unintentionally.**

**Special thanks to Lily for reviewing. I think that you are right. It's going to be one fabulous baby shower, indeed.**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Visions**

* * *

For the first time, Tony was alone in the house he shared with Ziva. The Israeli was over at Abby's place. They were discussing plans for Breena's baby shower. Tony had just gotten off of the phone with Jimmy. Palmer was nervous about Ziva and Abby's idea of a proper baby shower for Breena. He told Tony that he did not want to be involved in any way. Not after what had occurred during his bachelor's party. Being the good friend that he was, Tony assured Palmer that they would have their own party that day. That way, there was no reason to go to the baby shower.

Relieved that Tony had come through for him, Jimmy thanked Tony. Tony assured Jimmy that it wasn't a problem at all. After a brief conversation, the phone call ended. Tony placed his cell phone into his pocket, and walked into the kitchen. Opening up the refrigerator, Tony pulled out all of the ingredients for a ham and swiss cheese sandwich. Shutting the door, Tony started to assemble the sandwich. Once it was complete, he put the ingredients back into the refrigerator and grabbed a can of soda. Sandwich and drink in tow, Tony made his way to the living room. He set the can of soda on the side table and grabbed the remote. Settling on the couch, Tony flipped through the channels until he found an old western movie.

The movie was a classic John Wayne titled The Trail Beyond. It was one that Tony had only watched a few times, but he knew every line. During the middle of the movie, however, Tony started to drift off to sleep. His sandwich was half eaten and the soda was barely touched as Tony began to snore.

* * *

Tony was standing in front of a mirror. He was adjusting the tie on his tuxedo. A few of his college buddies, McGee, and Palmer were surrounding him. They kept patting him on the back and assuring him that he'd be fine. But why though? Tony was confused. Why were his friends acting so strangely?

"It's time, Tony," stated Jimmy, wearing a suit.

"Yeah, you don't want to keep her waiting," chimed in McGee.

"Who? Keep who waiting?" Tony asked, wanting answers.

The other men exchanged looks of confusion and disbelief.

"Your fiancee," replied Jimmy.

"I'm engaged?" Tony said, looking even more confounded.

"Yes, Tony, you're engaged," said McGee, looking annoyed. "And about to be married. Unless you stand here all day asking silly questions."

"How can I be engaged if I don't even know who I am getting married to?" questioned Tony, irritated. "I need answers, McMystery. Who am I marrying?"

McGee did not respond. Instead, he led Tony out to the altar with Jimmy's help. Tony was still attempting to get an answer out of McGee and Palmer to no avail. Looking around in the audience, Tony spotted Gibbs. Breaking free from his captors, Tony made a beeline for Gibbs.

"You've got to help me, boss," Tony pleaded with me. "McGee and Palmer say that I am getting married today. But I don't remember who I am marrying."

"Snap out of it, DiNozzo," said Gibbs. "You just have cold feet. You'll be fine."

"But I am not engaged, and I don't have a fiancee," stated Tony. "The only person that I am dating is Ziva, but we haven't—"

A thought popped into Tony's head. He couldn't believe that he had been so dense. No wonder everyone was giving him funny looks. He did know who his fiancee was. It was Ziva. But that still left more questions than answers.

"When did this happen? When did Ziva and I become engaged?" inquired Tony.

"It was a shock to us all, DiNozzo," replied Gibbs, grinning. "We all thought that you'd never propose. I certainly didn't want to believe it."

"I must say that is was a shock to me as well," chimed in Ducky, who joined the conversation. "I'm amazed that Director Vance allowed you to use MTAC for the proposal. Quite clever, actually."

"But that doesn't sound like me at all," whined Tony, pouting. "I'm more of a classical kind of guy."

"You're right," agreed Gibbs. "That's why I hate to say that this isn't your wedding after all. It's Ziva's. She's marrying Ray."

"What!" shouted Tony. "She left me for him! Why?"

"She couldn't handle you anymore, DiNozzo," replied Gibbs. "You never wanted to commit to her, so she found someone that would. I think that they make a perfect couple."

"You can't be serious," yelled Tony, looking incredulous.

"I am," stated Gibbs. "Ray and Ziva were meant for each other."

The wedding march started. Tony spotted Ray at the altar. He was gazing at the door, awaiting his bride's entrance. A few seconds later, the flower girl and the bridesmaids made their appearance. Ziva followed after. Tony's jaw dropped to the ground. Ziva had never looked more radiant. She glowed with happiness as she met Ray's eyes. As Ziva got closer, Tony stepped into her path, blocking it. Ziva scowled at Tony.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "Why are you ruining my wedding?"

"You shouldn't marry him," explained Tony. "We belong together. You and me. Not Ray."

"You had your chance," growled Ziva, angry. "Now get out of my way."

"But I love you Ziva," declared Tony. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Well, I don't love you," replied Ziva. "And it is Ray that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I'd pick him every time over you."

Ziva pushed Tony out of the way. When she reached the altar, the priest started the vows. Gibbs was escorting Tony out of the cathedral. Tony was fighting back, but it was no use. His Ziva was gone forever.

Tony woke up with a jolt. He was drenched in a cold sweat. The movie had ended some time ago. Doctor Phil was on the television. Reaching for the remote, Tony turned the TV off.

_It was just a dream,_ Tony reminded himself, _it was just a stupid dream._

* * *

**Yes, I am being evil and ending it there. Sorry. But let me know what you think?**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Notes: That was some dream that Tony had. I bet that he's thinking about certain things a lot more now.**

**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. I love every last one of you! Tellher96: Maybe…we'll just have to wait and see. Nando2k50: You're telling me. I had chills writing it. Imagining Ziva with anyone but Tony is difficult for me. Gingerstorm101: *ducks but not quickly enough* AHHHH! I'm MELTING! I'M MELTING!**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Decipher**

* * *

The first thing that Tony did when he woke up was dial Abby Sciuto's number. She was an expert at interpreting dreams. If anyone could tell him what his dream meant, it would be Abby. Tony was certain of that fact.

The phone rang several times before Abby finally picked up. And it didn't sound like she was alone. It sounded like Abby had a male visitor. Tony was pretty sure he knew who that male visitor was.

"McGoo, I can hear you in the background," Tony said. "Can I please have a private conversation with Abby?"

McGee said something inaudible to Tony to Abby. She giggled but shooed McGee away. Tony grumbled.

"I don't want to know what sort of funny business you two are up to over there," said Tony, annoyed. "Please, McGee, can I talk to Abby without you over-hearing?"

Tony heard Abby talking to McGee. There was a short pause, and then Tony heard footsteps. McGee had left the room. Abby and Tony could speak freely.

"You know, you don't have to be so mean to him," scolded Abby. "Whatever you are having an issue with, he could help you too. He's also your friend."

"Yes, but I need an expert for this matter, and McGee doesn't fit the bill," explained Tony.

"Oh, really?" inquired Abby, curious. "And which of my expertise are you wanting?"

"Dream interpretation," declared Tony.

Before Tony could stop himself, he told Abby about the dream that he had. He did not leave out a single detail. He wanted to make sure that the dream was interpreted correctly. Tony did not want to leave a doubt in his mind.

"What did you eat before you fell asleep?" questioned Abby, after Tony had finished telling her his dream.

"Why does that matter?" inquired Tony, confused.

"Sometimes when you eat certain foods before sleeping, it can influence bad dreams," replied Abby. "After eating a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, I once had a nightmare about a giant meatball that was trying to squish me."

"That's fascinating Abs," said Tony, wanting to get to the point. "But what does my dream mean?"

"It means that you are afraid of losing Ziva," explained Abby. "You don't want to lose her."

"But why was CIRay in my dream? I don't understand," stated Tony, still really confused.

"When Ray and Ziva were engaged, that was the closest that you ever came to losing her," responded Abby. "It was when your true feelings for her really began to manifest themselves. Now that you two are together, you're scared that something will go wrong and she'll dump you."

Tony was silent. It was exactly as he had feared. His dreams were telling him something that he already knew. Tony DiNozzo was in love with Ziva David. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her; Grow old with her and have a couple of kids. He had been in denial all of this time. Now, he could no longer deny the truth.

"Tony, are you okay?" questioned Abby, tentative.

"Yeah, I am fine," Tony managed to choke out. "Thank you for your help, Abby."

"Hey, don't mention it," responded Abby. "Just do me one little favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Tell her!"

Tony was shocked. It was a full minute before he spoke again.

"I will," promised Tony.

The phone call ended, and Tony placed his phone back into his pocket. He grabbed his car keys and walked out of the house. Tony was going to confess his feelings for Ziva. He had some work to do before that happened. He wanted everything to be perfect. Someone like Ziva David deserved nothing less.

* * *

**Ooooh, this is getting so exciting! Let me know what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Notes: Good ol' Abby. Always helpful in solving problems. And Tony is finally admitting that Ziva is the only woman for him. Only took him eight years. Lol.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Nando2k50: You learn something new every day. ;)**

**Guest: Thank you.**

**Gingerstorm101: Good thing that I have the elder wand. *grins evilly* *holds up elder wand* And I know how to use it. ;)**

**Anyway, this'll probably be the last update till Monday. Busy weekend, so I doubt very much that I'll be close to a computer.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Preparations**

* * *

Tony took every opportunity that he could to prepare for his proposal to Ziva. Which was a lot because Ziva was over at Abby's place whenever she wasn't at work. Tony was working hard to make sure that it was a surprise. He could not wait to see the look on Ziva's face when he proposed to her.

Buying her favorite flowers (tiger lilies) and her favorite chocolate (Cadbury) was the easy part. Finding the perfect place to propose was more difficult. Tony was practically ripping his hair out trying to find a place that wasn't completely booked for the day he wanted. He was close to a mental breakdown before he finally found the right spot. The very last place that he called, The Gilded Lotus, had one opening left for that evening. Tony could have cried with happiness when the maitre'd told him this.

After securing the dinner reservations, Tony made another call. He knew that Ziva had always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon. So he decided that the proposal night would be the best time to do so. Jimmy had tipped him off about a place in D.C. that specialized in romantic balloon rides, so that was the place that Tony called. He arranged for the balloon ride to be at nine o'clock. That gave them plenty of time at the restaurant. After going over the details, Tony hung up the phone. Ziva had entered the room. Abby was following behind her. Both were toting shopping bags filled to the brim with shower supplies.

"Welcome back, sweet cheeks," said Tony, giving Ziva a peck on the cheek. Then, he turned to Abby and hugged her. "It's all set," he whispered very softly into her ear.

Ziva did not notice. She was taking the supplies out of the bags. Abby grinned at Tony and whispered, "Well done." into his ear. She walked away to where Ziva was sitting to help her out.

Abby left later that evening. She said that she had a date with McGee. After saying goodbye, Abby exited their home.

"I am so sorry, Tony," apologized Ziva. "I have been neglecting you."

"It's okay, I understand," responded Tony, giving Ziva a smile. "You've been busy preparing for Breena's shower."

"Yes, but it is still not fair to you," replied Ziva, wrapping her arms around Tony's waist. "Can I make it up to you somehow?"

"Dinner at The Gilded Lotus on Saturday?" suggested Tony, wrapping his arms around Ziva's waist and pulling her close.

"Deal," agreed Ziva, leaning in.

As Ziva pressed her lips against Tony's, he could not help but think that his plan couldn't be going smoother. Ziva was none the wiser. She had no idea that he was going to propose. Tony could not wait for Saturday to come. Only a few more days.

* * *

Saturday was finally here, and Tony's anxiety was setting in. He was very nervous about what he was going to do that evening. Never before had Tony felt this way before a date. He was trying his best to keep calm, but he could not help it. Every scenario where things could go wrong was playing in his head. Even giving himself a smack to the back of his head did not help.

_Pull yourself together, man, _Tony scolded himself, _or Ziva will find out before it is time._

"Good morning, sleepyhead," said Ziva, wearing her running gear.

Tony gazed sleepily at her. Even dripping with sweat and donning sweat pants, Ziva was gorgeous. Tony could not believe how lucky he was.

"Good morning to you too," replied Tony, grinning at her from the bed. "How was your run?"

"Great," beamed Ziva, taking off her shoes. "I even beat my best time by ten seconds."

"That's wonderful," stated Tony, proud of his girl.

"Well, I am going to take a shower," said Ziva, placing her shoes in the closet.

"I'll start breakfast," Tony told her, getting out of bed. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Sunny-side up," replied Ziva, grabbing a set of clothes from her closet.

"Okay, sunny-side eggs coming up," said Tony, putting on a pair of shorts.

Tony got to work making the eggs, bacon, and toast. He even started brewing a pot of coffee. It was promising to be a long night. He wanted to make sure that they both had their energy, and what better way to start than breakfast? Tony was just placing the silverware, plates, and mugs onto the table when Ziva walked in. She was wearing a green tank top and shorts. Her raven hair was wrapped in a white linen towel. She did not have makeup on. For the second time that day, Tony still thought that she looked fantastic.

"Breakfast is served," Tony told her, handing Ziva a plateful of everything.

Ziva mumbled her thanks and sat down to eat. Tony poured her a cup of coffee just the way that she liked it. Then, he poured himself a cup of coffee, and sat down to his plate of food.

"This is delicious," Ziva claimed, after they had finished eating. "I'll have to take back what I said before about your cooking skills."

"Thank you," said Tony, forgetting the slight jab at his culinary skill. "I owe it all to Alton Brown. The man really knows how to explain cooking."

"That he does," agreed Ziva, lifting her mug of coffee in a toast.

Tony clinked glasses with Ziva and drank the rest of his coffee. This was going to be the best night of their lives so far. He did not know why he had been so nervous. There was no need to be. Everything was going to be just fine. Tony knew it.

* * *

**I realize that some of this is probably AU, but we'll just call it author's privilege, okay? =) Regardless, drop me a line. Let me know what you think.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Notes: Everything is set up. Tony is about to propose to Ziva. But will she say yes? Stay tuned to find out, kids.**

**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. **

**Gingerstorm101: I knew you'd say that. That's why I feel that it is my duty to inform you that I replaced the Elder wand with Draco's before Harry could snap it. Expelliarmus! *grabs Snape's wand as it flies out of your hand* And now I have two! *evil laugh***

**Nando2k50: I can't argue with you there. Now, if only my muse would listen. ;) But I can assure you this chapter is longer.**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Mrs. DiNozzo, maybe?**

* * *

Tony paced as he waited for Ziva to get ready. He had his best suit on for the occasion. He wanted everything to be perfect. However, if Ziva did not hurry up, they were going to lose their reservation. Tony checked his Armani watch again. They had fifteen minutes to go. It would take at least ten to get to The Gilded Lotus from their house. He was beginning to get anxious.

"I don't mean to rush you, sweet cheeks, but could you hurry up," Tony called up the stairs. "We're going to lose our reservation."

"I will be down in a minute, Tony," Ziva shouted back. "Hold your horses."

Sweat was pouring down Tony's forehead and into his eyes. Taking a blue silk hankerchief from his pocket, Tony dabbed his forehead. He could not remember ever being this nervous. Then again, he had never proposed marriage to anyone before. Placing the hankerchief back into his pocket, Tony began pacing again.

"You really should stop doing that," said Ziva, who had just come down the stairs. "You are going to wear a hole into the carpet."

Tony just gaped at her. The oxygen in his lungs had escaped. He was like a fish out of water. As he gazed at Ziva, Tony could not breathe. Tony could not think of a word to describe how Ziva looked. Beautiful just did not cut it. Fabulous did not even come close. Gorgeous was in the ballpark, but still not the right word. Tony felt as though he would have to make up a new word to truly describe how Ziva looked. So, he used a combination of the three, and came up with Gorgefabutiful. That was how Tony thought that Ziva looked.

"Shall we?" suggested Tony, offering Ziva his arm.

"Yes, I think we should," agreed Ziva, allowing herself to be led out of the house by Tony.

Like a true gentleman, Tony opened the car door for Ziva. He held it until she was in the car. Then, Tony hopped into the car on the driver's side. He glanced at his watch again. They had exactly twelve minutes to get to The Gilded Lotus. If they did not have any traffic delays, Tony felt as though they could make it.

Tony put the pedal to the metal and drove towards their destination. They were going much faster than the appropriate speed limit. Tony hoped that they would not be stopped by a cop. The last thing that he needed right now was another ticket.

As luck would have it, though, a cop did see them. As Tony's car went zooming by, the cop car turned on its red and blue lights. Tony cursed loudly, annoyed by his misfortune. However as luck would have it, another car zipped by. It was being chased by two cop cars. Tony saw the cop car pursuing him answer a call on his radio. The cop turned around and joined the high speed chase, leaving Tony free to leave the scene. It was against his better judgment, but Tony really wanted to keep the reservations that he had.

"We got really lucky, did we not?" asked Ziva, grinning at her boyfriend.

"Yes, we did," Tony agreed, smiling back at Ziva.

They pulled into the parking lot of The Gilded Lotus. Quickly, Tony parked the car. Both Ziva and Tony exited the car and headed inside. The Gilded Lotus was packed. It seemed like half of D.C. was in attendance tonight. Tony spotted the mayor, who was surrounded by some very important looking people. Other than that, the place was filled with mostly couples.

"This place is wonderful," gushed Ziva, taking in the atmosphere.

* * *

Tony could not disagree. The Gilded Lotus truly lived up to its prestigious reputation. It was decorated in a very high class style. Wooden panels lined the walls with white screens between them. The screens had lotus flowers that glowed in different colors each time. Huge oriental-style lanterns hung from the ceiling. That was the only source of light in the building. At each table, you could see the chefs preparing the food. The patrons were delighted by the magnificent show given by the chefs.

A short Japanese woman in her mid twenties came up to them.

"Do you two have reservations?" she asked.

"Yes, it is under Anthony DiNozzo. Table for two," replied Tony.

"Ah, yes, DiNozzo," said the lady, looking at her list. "Follow me, please, and I will lead you to your table."

They were led to a table in the far right corner of the room. When they were seated, Tony ordered a bottle of champagne. The Japanese woman gave them their menus and left to grab their champagne. Tony and Ziva scanned their menus. When the Japanese lady came back, she had a chef with her. The chef looked to be in his late 50's and heavy set. He had a portable grill with him and some large, sharp knives. Tony ordered the Wagyu, a beef dish. Ziva ordered the Toro sashimi. The Japanese lady poured two glasses of champagne before leaving with a bow.

Ziva and Tony watched in awe as their food was prepared for them. The chef was quite the master with the knives. Never before had either of them seen someone cut meat so quickly and deftly. The chef did a sort of juggling act with the knives as the meat sizzled. The aroma of the cooking meat was intoxicating. Both Ziva and Tony could not wait to devour their meals. As the chef did his final act before placing the food into bowls, Ziva and Tony applauded him. The chef bowed gracefully before making his exit. Tony tipped the guy twenty bucks for the show. The chef graciously accepted the money and left their table.

Not a whole lot of chatting went on as they ate their meals. Tony could feel the ring box wearing a hole into his suit pants' pocket. But, he wasn't going to ask her yet. He was saving that for later, when they were on the balloon ride.

Tony and Ziva finished their food at the same time. Tony sat back in his chair. He patted his full stomach. He watched as Ziva wiped her mouth with her napkin. She set her silverware down onto the napkin after she was done using it.

"I am stuffed," exclaimed Ziva, sitting back in her chair.

"I hope that you saved room for desert," Tony told her.

He signaled the Japanese woman over to their table. He whispered something into her ear. She nodded and headed towards the kitchen. Ziva looked at Tony. She wondered what he was planning. When the Japanese lady came back out, Ziva saw that she was carrying a large container of chocolates. Ziva was delighted to see that they were Cadbury chocolates, her favorites. The Japanese lady was also holding a bouquet of tiger lilies. Ziva beamed at Tony.

"How on Earth did you know?" she asked, amazed.

"I'm a good listener," responded Tony, grinning back at her.

The Japanese woman handed Ziva the flowers and chocolates. She walked away, leaving Tony and Ziva alone. Tony secretly tipped the woman twenty dollars for her help. Tony opened the box of chocolates and began feeding them to Ziva. Ziva fed a few of the chocolates to Tony as well.

After the chocolates were gone, Tony called for the check. Once paid, Tony checked his watch. It was fifteen till nine.

"This has been such a great night," declared Ziva as they left the restaurant.

"It's about to get even better," responded Tony. "I have a surprise for you. Do not open your eyes until I say so."

"Okay," said Ziva.

Tony helped her into the car again. As Ziva sat down and buckled up, she closed her eyes. Tony caught her trying to peek as they pulled up to their destination.

"No peeking, or no surprise," Tony warned her playfully.

"You are no fun," Ziva pouted, but kept her eyes shut.

Tony parked the car again. He told Ziva to keep her eyes closed before getting out of the car. Helping Ziva out of the car, Tony led her to where the hot air balloon was. Once in front of the balloon, Tony paused.

"You can open your eyes now," Tony said, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Ziva's eyes opened and grew wide. An ear to ear grin appeared on her face. Tony squeezed her tightly.

"This is so spectacular!" shouted Ziva, in awe.

"Not as spectacular as you," Tony replied, spinning her around.

* * *

Ziva placed her hand on the back of Tony's head. Their lips pressed together in a sweet kiss. Her fingers laced through his hair, pulling it slightly. Tony held her closer to him so that their bodies were flush against each other. They soon heard a cough. The balloon conductor had arrived. He watched the happy couple with a grin. The man was in his mid forties. He had graying brown hair and a goatee. He was dressed in a gray suit and matching pants. The logo _D.C. Air Balloons_ was inscribed in tiny gold letter on the front of the jacket.

"All aboard," he called.

Tony and Ziva got onto the air balloon. Once boarded, the conductor prepared the balloon for take off. Five minutes later, they were lifted into the air. Tony felt that he had never appreciated D.C. truly before now. The lights from this height were very beautiful. He could tell that Ziva felt the same way. She was in awe of the view.

Tony placed his hand into Ziva's. He squeezed it gently. Ziva averted her gaze from the scenery to look at Tony. Emerald green met cocoa brown. Love was reflected from both sets of eyes. The conductor was busy guiding the balloon, but he was smiling. In his line of work, he saw this all of the time. Lots of people chose balloon rides for their proposal. And he knew that he was about to witness one more. It always pleased him to no end to see couples who were deeply in love. And he could tell that these two were one of those couples.

Tony let go of Ziva's hand. He was glancing down at his shoes. Ziva frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"My shoe is untied," said Tony.

Ziva looked down. His shoe was not untied.

"No, it is not," replied Ziva, calling out his bluff.

"Well, I felt something drop," retorted Tony, a little annoyed that she caught his lie.

He bent down, pretending to look for his missing item. Ziva watched him. Tony pulled a ring box out of his pocket. Ziva's heart skipped a beat as she noticed the box. Tony opened the box. A golden ring with a large shiny diamond sparkled in the moonlight. Tony looked up at Ziva. Her face had paled dramatically and she was trembling.

"Ziva David, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Tony told her. "Will you marry me?"

Ziva felt as though the oxygen had left her chest. She was unable to breathe, let alone speak. She was in complete shock. Never had she imagined that Tony would be the one proposing to her. But here he was, defying her ideas of him again. He was getting quite good at surprising her.

Tony waited patiently for a response. His knees were getting wobbly. They felt like jello. He really hoped that she would answer him soon. He did not know if his knees could take much more. They were likely to give out soon. Just as he thought that he was seconds away from having collapsed knees, Ziva spoke.

"Yes, I will marry you."

Beaming, Tony slipped the ring onto her finger. He put the box into his pocket, and scooped his fiancee into his arms. They kissed passionately with tears in both of their eyes. The conductor watched the happy couple for a moment. Then, he set the course for the balloon to land.

"Congratulations and may your marriage be blessed," said the conductor.

"Thank you," Tony and Ziva said at the same time.

They spent the remainder of the flight in each other's arms. Ziva kept staring at the ring. She was admiring its beauty and the message behind it. It was confirmed. She was to become Mrs. DiNozzo. Correction, Missus Ziva DiNozzo. As she leaned her head on Tony's shoulder, Ziva thought that she rather liked the sound of her new name.

* * *

**How was that for an engagement? Pretty great huh? And I know that I said Monday, but I ended up having some free time. So I decided to post. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Notes: Tony and Ziva are engaged! How exciting is this? Super exciting if you ask me! How will everyone else react? Stay tuned to find out.**

**Special thanks to everyone who favorited, reviewed, or followed this story. Nando2k50: Aw…that's so sweet. BDN2372: Thank you. I really hate it when they hyphenate their names. It's annoying to me. If you are getting married to someone, you should take their last name. Gingerstorm101: *ducks* Ha, you missed! *points wand at you* Stupefy! I know the feeling. My friends keep saying the same thing about me and my boyfriend. But it'll happen when it is supposed to happen.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Engagement Notice**

* * *

When Special Agent Gibbs entered the bullpen on Monday, he noticed that his team was acting strangely. For starters, Abby, Ducky, and Palmer were there. Usually, Abby was in her lab, and the other two in autopsy. Gibbs was not used to seeing them in the bullpen first thing in the morning.

As Gibbs got closer, he realized that everyone was crowded around Ziva. Concerned that she was hurt, Gibbs made his way to her. When he reached Ziva, Gibbs discovered that she was perfectly healthy. Ziva was smiling. Gibbs had never seen the Israeli look so happy.

Gibbs looked over at DiNozzo, who was grinning from ear to ear. It was a smug, triumphant smile. Something big had happened for them both to be smiling that way. But what?

It was at that moment that Gibbs looked at Ziva's left hand. An enormous diamond ring was on her fourth finger. Now, Gibbs understood why Ziva and Tony were so happy. Gibbs grinned. At first, he had thought that their relationship was a bad idea. However, that ring proved to Gibbs that he was wrong. They were both in it for the long haul.

Gibbs clamped a hand on Tony's shoulders and squeezed. Shocked by the touch, Tony tensed up a bit. He glanced over at Gibbs.

"About time, DiNozzo," Gibbs told the special agent. He took his hand from Tony's shoulder. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, boss," said Tony, rubbing his shoulder where Gibbs had squeezed it.

Gibbs grinned and turned to Ziva.

"Congratulations, Ziva," he said, giving her a hug.

Surprised by the hug, Ziva accepted it and murmured her thanks into Gibbs' shoulder. When they broke apart, Abby was the first one to speak.

"See Gibbs, I knew that you were a hugger," she exclaimed, giving Gibbs a hug.

"Hugs for family is always acceptable," replied Gibbs, once she had let go of him.

"What about me?" questioned DiNozzo. "Where is my hug?"

"Men do not hug," responded Gibbs.

Tony was about to say something, but Abby interrupted him.

"So, Ziva, do you have a maid of honor yet?" she asked. "And what about bridesmaids?"

"I have not quite decided yet," responded Ziva.

"Oh, I see," said Abby, her face falling slightly. "Well, it is a big decision. The maid of honor is responsible for the bachelorette party."

"Yeah, and I want to get it just right," said Ziva. "I only plan on marrying once."

"Better be," agreed Gibbs, eyeing DiNozzo with a dangerous look.

"Hey, I plan on marrying once too," declared DiNozzo, throwing his hands up in defense. "I do not want a bunch of failed marriages under my belt like DiNozzo Senior. Or like Gibbs," DiNozzo added under his breath.

Gibbs must have heard Tony because he was glaring at him. The look that Tony was receiving was one that had been used on many criminals before. Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was cowering from the look. He adverted his gaze from Gibbs.

"Sorry, boss, I did not mean to imply that the marriage failures were your fault. I—"

Gibbs smacked DiNozzo on the back of the head. Abby, Palmer, Ziva and Tim giggled. Ducky just shook his head and muttered to himself. DiNozzo rubbed the back of his head tenderly. Gibbs just smirked.

"I needed that," admitted Tony. "Thank you, boss."

"You will be receiving more than a head slap if you screw up this marriage to Ziva," warned Gibbs. "You can be sure of that."

Tony gulped. He did not want to imagine what Gibbs would do to him if he messed things up with Ziva.

Gibbs' cell phone went off. Gibbs answered the call. He talked briefly to the person on the other line before hanging up. Gibbs looked at Tim, Tony, and Ziva.

"We can continue talk of the engagement later. We have an engagement with a dead Marine. Grab your gear. We are headed to the War Memorial," said Gibbs.

* * *

Everyone dispersed. Gibbs was already in the elevator. Tony, Tim, and Ziva were scurrying to reach the elevator. Tim was the last to reach the elevator. He made it just before the door closed.

The local cops were already at the scene when the NCIS MCRT team got there. Onlookers surrounded the outside of the police tape. A dead Marine's body lay sprawled in front of the memorial wall. Right under the names starting with the letter H.

"McGee, start taking photos. DiNozzo, I want you to interview the local leos and any witnesses. Ziva, bag and tag," Gibbs barked the orders.

Right away, his team did what they were supposed to do. McGee went snap happy and got several photos. Ziva busied herself with gathering evidence and bagging it for Abby. DiNozzo started interviewing the cops first. Everything went swimmingly, until one of the cops tried to put the moves on DiNozzo.

"So, how about it?" questioned the female cop, edging closer to DiNozzo. "You and me get a drink after we are off?"

The female cop was by no means unattractive. She was a blonde and had every feature that Tony DiNozzo liked in a woman. However, Tony was spoken for, and he was going to make that very clear.

"I am engaged," Tony explained to the female cop.

"Well, I do not see your fiancee around," said the female cop, moving closer to Tony.

Tony chuckled. He almost felt sorry for the girl. She had no idea.

"I do," replied Tony, his eyes wandering to where Ziva was.

The female cop followed his gaze. Her eyes widened when she spotted Ziva. She looked dumbfounded.

"You are engaged to her?" questioned the cop, looking shocked. "Damn, you navy cops sure like to mix business with pleasure. A pity because I was hoping to do the same."

"Sorry to disappoint you," said Tony, not looking sorry at all.

After finishing up, Tony, Tim, Ziva, and Gibbs headed back to the bullpen. Palmer and Ducky would take care of the body. Ducky had concluded that the Marine had only been dead for twelve hours. The cause of death would remain unknown until he was brought back to autopsy. Ziva had found a baseball bat and a few stray bullets. However, it was uncertain whether the bullets killed the Marine or the bat. Abby would be able to analyze them, but it was up to Ducky and Palmer to decipher what killed him.

* * *

**Poor Tony. Can't catch a break, can he? Everyone wants a piece of him. Drop me a line. Let me know what you think.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Notes: Gibbs was pretty happy about the engagement. He was being very protective of Ziva. I think that he believes that DiNozzo is going to screw things up somehow. But I doubt that he will. Tony loves Ziva. Gibbs is just being over-protective. And Abby is very curious to see who Ziva will choose for maid of honor. Who will it be? Find out soon, kids.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. Bookk14g: I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I had fun writing it. I almost feel sorry for that cop. She had no idea. And yes, you guessed right. I will have Ziva take Tony's last name. She will be Ziva DiNozzo once they are married. Gingerstorm101: *legs start to feel very wobbly* Two can play that game! * waves wand* Tarantellegra! *hits target, causing your feet to dance uncontrollably* Lily G. Parker: Thank you. I'm glad that you have an account. Maybe I will be reading a story by you soon?**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Decisions, Decisions**

* * *

"What's wrong, sweet cheeks?" inquired Tony. "You've barely touched your gyro."

It was lunchtime. Tony and Ziva were sitting on a park bench. They had ordered a gyro each and a drink from the food cart. Ziva was nibbling at her gyro. Tony had just finished his second one. It was a very warm day. There was not a cloud in the sky. Lots of people were in the park eating lunch. Everyone wanted to enjoy the nice weather.

Ziva placed the gyro back into the wrapper and sighed. The cup of tea was still clutched in her hand. To delay answering Tony's question, Ziva took a drink from it. Noticing the deflection, Tony grabbed the cup.

"Nice try, but I want you to answer my question," said Tony, keeping the tea out of reach. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Tony," replied Ziva, attempting to get her tea back.

"Come on, even I don't believe that," said Tony. "You've hardly eaten any of your gyro, and I know that you really like them. So something must be up."

"I am not hungry," lied Ziva, hoping to pacify him. "I had a big breakfast."

"Oh, now I know that you are not telling the truth," declared Tony. "You had yogurt and coffee for breakfast. That's not very filling. Ziva, you'll have to do better than that."

"I do not wish to talk about it!" growled Ziva.

"Why not?" Tony persisted. "If we are going to be married, we need to be able to tell each other everything. No secrets. Didn't you tell me once that keeping things bottled up inside was bad for you?"

Ziva attempted to argue with him, but she closed her mouth. There was nothing that she could say. Tony was right. They needed to be honest with each other. Bottling her feelings inside would not help. Ziva issued a defeated sigh.

"If you really want to know, then I will tell you," Ziva told him. "I am having difficulties deciding who my maid of honor should be. I have only known Breena for a short period of time, but I feel a very strong connection with her."

"So, choose Breena," stated DiNozzo, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But I have known Abby for several years," said Ziva. "She is the first friend that I had when I came to America. I feel as though she would be severely disappointed if I do not choose her to be my maid of honor. But I do not want to disappoint Breena either. I have no idea what I should do."

Tony placed the tea down on the ground. He wrapped his arms around Ziva and held her. Ziva had her head on his shoulder. She inhaled. The scent of sandalwood and bergamot filled her nostrils. Tony squeezed her gently.

"You will not disappoint them," Tony said, softly. "They are both your friends. I'm sure that they will be okay with whatever you decide. Or else."

"Or else what?" asked Ziva, raising her head to look at him.

"They will have to speak to me," stated Tony.

* * *

Ziva chuckled. Tony always had a knack for making her feel better. Whenever she was in a bad mood, he could always lift her spirits. That was one of the many things that Ziva David loved about Tony DiNozzo. He was really good at picking her up when she was down.

"You smell really good today, by the way," said Ziva, inhaling his scent again.

"Why thank you. It is a new cologne," declared Tony. "And not to sound creepy or anything, but so do you. What is that? Cherry and tulips?"

"No, it is strawberries and orange blossoms," responded Ziva, laughing.

"I was close," said Tony. He looked at his watch. "We should get back to NCIS headquarters. Lunch is almost over and we have a case to solve."

"Not to mention that Gibbs will kill us if we are late coming back from lunch," Ziva stated, eating her gyro.

"Yeah, that too," agreed Tony.

He handed Ziva her tea back. They made their way to Tony's car. Ziva finished her gyro by the time that they pulled into the NCIS parking lot. When they got to the bullpen, Tony and Ziva saw that McGee was already there.

"Where did you guys go?" McGee demanded.

"Hold on there, McFrustrated," Tony said to the Probie. "Lunch just ended."

"Not by Gibbs' clock," stated McGee. "You two were supposed to be back fifteen minutes ago. Gibbs is very upset."

Tony stared hard at McGee. Ziva watched. McGee did not blink. There was no expression on his face. After a minute, Tony's face cracked into a grin.

"You're messing with me, aren't you? Aren't you, McStaredown?" Tony taunted. "Gibbs is not upset at us."

"Why don't you ask him yourself," suggested McGee, pointedly.

Tony turned around slowly. Ziva was already seated at her desk. Gibbs was standing right in front of Tony. He was wearing a smirk.

"Have a good lunch, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, yes I did, boss," said Tony, stammering a bit.

"Good, you'll need the energy," Gibbs replied. "Grab your gear. We have another body to investigate. The killer struck again."

Tony was dumbfounded. He wasn't in trouble with Gibbs after all. McGee had been lying to him. As Tony grabbed his stuff, he ran up behind McGee. Tony smacked McGee on the back of the head. Agitated, McGee glared at Tony.

"What was that for?"

"For not telling the truth," answered Tony, glaring at McGee.

When they entered the elevator, Gibbs smacked DiNozzo on the back of the head. Tony rubbed the back of his head and looked at his boss. Ziva giggled behind her hand. McGee smiled smugly. Gibbs was still smirking.

"Next time, don't be so quick to believe the lie," Gibbs warned DiNozzo.

"I won't, boss," Tony promised Gibbs.

* * *

**Now, I am going to let you decide. Who should be Ziva's maid of honor? Breena or Abby? Let me know in your review. Whoever has the most votes will be Ziva's maid of honor.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Notes: The votes are in! It looks like Abby has been chosen by my lovely readers to be Ziva's maid of honor. But don't worry, Breena will be one of the bridesmaids. As for Tony, you will have to wait and see who he chooses for best man and groomsmen.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story! I am going to answer questions in your reviews now. Prince-Bishop: He was messing with Tony. Tim wanted to get him back for all the pranks that he had played on him. So Tim decided to tease Tony a little bit. Gingerstorm101: *in between laughter* Can't…breath…laughing… too hard…need help! Deadangelgirl: That's a possibility. I may or may not have that actually happen. **

**And now, on with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Scheming, Bickering, and Leads**

* * *

When Ziva asked Abby to be her maid of honor, she could tell that Abby was shocked. But she quickly recovered from her shock, and revealed her delight to be chosen as the maid of honor.

"Seriously, though," Abby told Ziva, still hugging her. "I was certain that you would choose Breena."

"I did consider it," admitted Ziva. "Breena and I have gotten really close. But you are my first real friend. And I feel as my first real friend, you should be my maid of honor. Breena will understand. She is the most compassionate person that I know."

Abby smiled. Ziva's words really touched her. It was not like the former Mossad officer to say things like this often. Abby knew that when she did, Ziva meant it. It also broke her heart knowing that Ziva had not made friends in Israel. But that was the childhood of someone whose father ran Mossad. Friends were few and far between. Not exactly a top priority. And it certainly explained a lot about Ziva's personality.

"So, do you know who Tony is picking to be his best man?" questioned Abby, already knowing the answer but wishing to confirm it.

"I believe that he chose Jimmy to be his best man," answered Ziva.

"No surprises there," stated Abby, grinning. "Those two are really close. I am interested to see what sort of bachelor's party Jimmy throws for Tony."

"Yeah, especially since McGee is helping him to plan it," responded Ziva, chuckling. When Abby looked confused, Ziva added. "I overheard Jimmy and Tim talking. He said that he wanted Tony's bachelor party to be great. So he enlisted Tim's help."

"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Abby, her eyes growing bigger.

"Yeah, I think so too," agreed Ziva, smiling at her friend.

"And it gives me another idea," replied Abby, a devious grin spreading on her face.

Ziva frowned. "I do not know that I like the sound of that," she said, warily.

"Oh, you will, trust me," said Abby. "I've got to go. Gibbs will be wanting more information on the case soon. I can just feel it."

Ziva started to protest. She wanted to know what Abby was up to. Abby did not say another word. She gave Ziva one last hug, and scurried off to her lab.

"I feel sorry for you," said Tony, looking over at his fiancee.

Ziva looked back at Tony. He was seated at his desk. A coffee mug embroidered Top Gun was right beside his mouse. A criminal database was being scanned on his computer screen.

"Why?" asked Ziva.

"Abby is throwing your bachelorette party," replied Tony. "That's enough cause for me."

"But that does not answer my question, Tony," said Ziva, looking confused. "Why should that make you feel sorry for me?"

"Remember Jimmy's bachelor party?"

"Yeah, so what."

"That's why," stated Tony.

"Jimmy's bachelor party seemed perfectly fine to me," retorted Ziva, defending her friend.

"Typical," huffed Tony, shaking his head. "Girls always defend each other."

"It is an unspoken rule," said Ziva, smirking. "But seriously, I do not understand what was so bad about Jimmy's bachelor party. Or why I should be concerned about mine."

"You just should be, alright," Tony declared, a little irritated.

"You guys are already fighting like a married couple," commented McGee, chuckling.

Tony and Ziva glared at McGee. Gibbs entered the bullpen. Clutched in his hand was another cup of coffee. This made his fourteenth cup of the day.

"Practice makes perfect, Elf Lord," Gibbs said, smirking. "Ziva and McGee, come with me. We've got a naval officer to interrogate. Tony, continue to run that picture through all the criminal databases and make some calls."

"Boss, why can't I come with?" inquired Tony. "I have been running this photo all morning. Nothing has come up yet."

"Try harder," Gibbs replied.

As they left, Ziva looked back at Tony. She was sympathetic. McGee, on the other hand, smiled smugly at Tony. Tony made a face at McGee. He turned back to his computer and sighed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**Sorry that it is so short. But what do you think? Good bad? Let me know!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for your continued support of this story. Prince-Bishop: Thank you. McGee is smug because he gets to go do field work while DiNozzo has to sit at a desk. You may be surprised what happens in regards to Tony's bachelor party. Won't give anything away, but you will be surprised. Gingerstorm101: *throws hands up in defeat* I surrender. You are the ruler of all things magical. As for Abby's plans, you'll find out soon enough. =) TotalCowgirl: Thank you. Nando2k50: Yeah, Gibbs wouldn't do well in my family either. Lol. I thought about having Ziva make a scene originally, but I decided against it. And I'm sure that he has another headslap coming to him soon. He always does. ;) LilyGParker: Yeah, I debated on making McGee best man, but I thought since Jimmy and Tony were closer, I should make Jimmy the best man.**

**The baby shower games mentioned here are not ones that I made up. I cannot take credit for them, except the diaper one. These are a few games that I played at some of the showers that I have been to.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: Baby Shower**

* * *

"I am so nervous, Abby," stated Ziva, as she hung the decorations. "What if Breena does not like it?"

Abby frowned. Today was not a good day for Ziva David. She was a nervous wreck. Normally, Ziva was her calm and collected self. However, she was becoming more and more anxiety ridden. Planning the baby shower and a wedding at the same time had taken a toll on Ziva. In two months, Ziva had lost twenty pounds. There were dark bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. She was refusing to eat more than once a day, and even then it was not that much.

"Perhaps we should take a break?" suggested Abby.

"You are probably right," agreed Ziva, hanging the banner.

"Here," said Abby, pulling something out of her bag. Abby handed Ziva a couple slices of pizza and a cola. "Eat this. You need something besides sandwiches to eat. You are too thin."

"Abby, I am slimming down for my wedding," claimed Ziva, not taking the food offered to her.

Abby chuckled.

"Ziva, of all the people that I know, you are one of the last ones that needs to slim down for a wedding," responded Abby, still holding the pizza and cola. Ziva flushed at the compliment. Abby got a dangerous look in her eye. "Now, eat, or I will make you eat it."

"Alright," Ziva said, giving in. She took the pizza and cola from Abby, who smiled.

As Ziva ate, Abby finished putting up the rest of the decorations. The rest of the guests were due to arrive soon, along with Breena herself. Once Ziva had finished her meal, she made to get up to help. When the last of the food was on the table, they stood back to admire their work. A large punch bowl was at the center of the table. The punch was supposed to resemble bath water. A couple of yellow rubber duckies were floating on top. Next to the punch, a platter of assorted cookies lay. A fruit tray was on the other side. The rest of the table had a variety of sandwiches and chips. Near the end of the table was a cake in the shape of a rattle.

They did not have to wait long for everyone to arrive. Minutes later, the guests started pouring in. Everyone gushed about how great the fellowship hall of the church looked. It had been Abby's idea to use the church. Since she was a member, Abby had the privilege of doing so. The whole room had been decorated in jade green. Neither Jimmy nor Breena would reveal the gender of the baby. They wanted it to be a surprise. So Abby and Ziva had decided to decorate everything in green.

Breena, it seemed, was the one with the most compliments. When she entered, Breena was amazed at the decorations.

"Seriously, though," Breena said for the fifteenth time. "This is amazing! Thank you guys soo much!"

"You are welcome," said Ziva, grinning at her friend.

Once everyone had been fed, Ziva and Abby started the games. The first one was a baby shower classic. There were several jars of baby food, and you had to guess what food was in what jar. After Breena's friend Clarissa was declared the winner, they moved on to the next game. Guessing which candy bar was melted into the diaper was next. That was easily the game that grossed everyone out the most. However, it also earned a lot of laughs. One game included wrapping someone with toilet paper to make a diaper. Breena would then judge which "baby" she liked the best. Everyone rolled with laughter at the sight of Breena's cousin Cindy in a diaper, and made her the winner. The final game was a bottle drinking contest. That was by far the favorite. Everyone raced to see who could guzzle their water down the quickest. When Mary Ellen, a lady from the book club, had been named the winner, the game was over.

"Breena, I am going to put a chair in the middle of the room buy that table," explained Ziva to her friend. "I placed all of your presents over there. That way, people can take photos of you opening them."

"Thank you, Zi, that's really thoughtful," said Breena, grinning.

* * *

Ziva's plan worked out perfectly. No one was crowding anyone else in an attempt to capture a photo. Everyone was able to take a picture of Breena opening her pictures without any problems. After the presents were opened, some of the guests started to disperse. After a half an hour, nearly everyone was gone. Once everyone was gone, Abby and Ziva started to clean up. After an hour, the fellowship hall of the church was completely clean.

"Thank you for everything that you have done," Breena said, smiling at Abby and Ziva. "Let me buy you guys dinner."

"Okay," said Abby.

"I am not hungry," claimed Ziva. "But thanks."

Abby and Breena exchanged a look.

"Ziva, you need something to eat," stated Abby.

"I am still quite full from that meal earlier," lied Ziva, her stomach grumbling.

"I would say not," said Breena, laughing. "Come on, Zi, it is my treat. Let me buy you some food to thank you. Both of you." she added, glancing at Abby.

"Alright," Ziva conceded.

"Great," beamed Breena. "Now, let's get going. I'm starved."

The three ladies got into Abby's car and drove to an Indian restaurant on E street. Ziva looked confused.

"I would not believe that the baby likes spicy food," commented Ziva.

"Oh, the baby loves spicy food," responded Breena, chuckling. "Can't get enough of it, actually. I've had Jimmy order Indian food at least three times a week since I have been pregnant."

"Wow, that's a lot of curry," exclaimed Abby, eyes wide.

"You're telling me," stated Breena. "I may never eat Indian food again after I have the baby. I like spicy food, but this is just ridiculous."

Ziva and Abby shared Breena's chuckle. She seemed to be taking the whole pregnancy well. Ziva was not certain that she would be doing as well. Especially since she was a federal agent. She was shot at on a regular basis. Tony would have a cow if she was out in the field when pregnant. That was one aspect that Ziva was not looking forward to. Being pregnant meant that she would be treated differently. People would act as though she was made of glass. And Ziva did not like that at all. But, Ziva decided that was something to truly worry about when the time came. Right now, she would focus on her wedding. Stuff like pregnancy woes would come later.

* * *

**So, what did you think? I had fun writing this chapter. I thought that a little bit of fluff and dark would mix well. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for your reviews, favorites, and follows. It helps to keep me going. I love it! You guys are terrific!**

**TotalCowGirl: I'm not giving anything away. You'll just have to wait and see. ;) Gingerstorm101:*makes pouty face* Alright. *hands over the wands* I am sure that she will. Tony wouldn't stand for it. AmalaVolken: Thank you very much! I hope that you like this chapter as well. Nando2k50: Thank you. Yeah, those are just examples of games that I had played at some baby showers. And it was quite fun. Had some good laughs. And yeah, Indian food is quite an unusual craving for a pregnant woman, but to each their own. Lol. Lily G Parker: I can't give that away just yet. Sorry for being a tease. Prince-bishop: Yeah, she would be upset either way.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: What the Hell?**

* * *

If Ziva thought that her anxiety levels would decrease after the baby shower, she was wrong. It seemed that the stress of planning a wedding on top of being a field agent for NCIS was too much to handle. She was seriously considering leaving NCIS until after the wedding. Something that Tony was not too happy about.

"It would just be until after the wedding is over," Ziva said to Tony.

It was lunch break and they were at a little bistro on Y street. Once again, Ziva had only ordered a cup of tea. Tony noticed that this was becoming more of a normal lunch routine for Ziva. And it was concerning Tony greatly. Putting down his pastrami on rye, Tony pushed his plate over to Ziva. Ziva ignored the half eaten sandwich, which irritated Tony.

"You need to eat," declared Tony, "You cannot keep pushing food away. It is unhealthy."

"Just because I do not gobble down my food does not mean that I do not eat," growled Ziva. "And besides, this is yours. You should eat it."

She pushed the plate back to Tony, who took the plate unwillingly. He did not continue to eat. Instead, he summoned the waitress over and ordered another sandwich. When the waitress walked away, Ziva glared at Tony.

"What the hell was that for?" she asked, angrily.

"What do you think it was for, Zee-vah!?" Tony shot back, equally angry. "You need to eat. You are way too thin. It is really scary."

"I am not too thin," whined Ziva, annoyed. "Why does everyone think that I am? I am at a perfect weight for my height and age."

"Yeah, if you are a skeleton," mumbled Tony.

Tony did not think that she had heard him, but he was wrong. Ziva punched him hard in the arm. Tony winced and grasped his arm. He glared at Ziva.

"I was just trying to help you, Ziva," Tony said, still glaring at her. "I am concerned about you."

"Yeah, well, there is no need to be concerned," retorted Ziva. "I am fine."

Ziva grabbed her purse. Tony, who was still shell-shocked, just gaped at her.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

"Back to NCIS," explained Ziva.

"Just wait a second, Ziva," said Tony. "Wait until your sandwich gets here and then we can go."

"No, Tony, I think that it is best if I go back now," replied Ziva, sadly.

"Please, Ziva," pleaded Tony, giving her puppy dog eyes. "I promise that I won't bring up your weight again."

Ziva sighed and sat back down. Tony silently celebrated his victory. Although, his mind was reeling. He had to do something about Ziva's obsession with her weight. It was not good for her, and the stress wasn't helping matters. Tony was thinking that it might be a good idea to get a professional wedding planner. He knew that now was not the time to suggest such a thing. It would most likely set off another argument.

* * *

The sandwich finally came about five minutes later. Tony paid for their meals and escorted Ziva out of the bistro. Neither of them spoke on the way back to headquarters. Ziva was still really irritated with Tony. She knew that her weight was perfectly fine. Who was he to suggest otherwise? If anything, Ziva thought that he should be following her example. It would not kill him to lose a few pounds before the big night.

Meanwhile, Tony was thinking of a way to get everyone together for Ziva's intervention. She needed their help now more than ever. This weight issue was blossoming into a huge problem. If they did not deal with it soon, something bad would happen.

When they exited the elevator, Tony went right to his computer. He started typing up an email. It was a short email that requested assistance for Ziva's sake. He sent it to McGee, Gibbs, Abby, Ducky, and Palmer. Tony knew that they would be quite willing to help. He was just worried about how Ziva would react. He winced as he felt his arm. Rolling up his sleeve, Tony checked the damage. A purple bruise the size of an egg had formed. Tony rolled down his sleeve as he saw Ziva approach his desk.

"Yes, sweet cheeks," said Tony, trying to look as though nothing had happened.

"Tony, I am really sorry for hitting you," apologized Ziva. "I just lost control. It never should have happened. I am just under a lot of stress with the wedding and all."

"Maybe we should hire a professional to take care of the wedding details?" suggested Tony, tentatively.

He waited for a response from Ziva. At first, he thought that she would be mad. However, he was surprised that she sighed and agreed to the wedding planner.

"Good. I will make the necessary arrangements," said Tony, flashing a smile. He took the sandwich from the bistro out of his bag. "Did you still not want this?"

"No, I will take it," said Ziva, shocking Tony even further.

"Okay, then," replied Tony, handing over the sandwich. _But we are still going to have a talk, Ziva. _thought Tony as she walked away. _This behavior has got to stop._

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. There was no new case, so they just filed cold cases all day. As Ziva checked her email, she noticed a new email from Abby. Curious, she opened it.

* * *

_We need to talk. Meet me down in the lab after hours._

* * *

As Ziva finished reading the email, she had a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew that this was coming. Tony would not let this weight issue go. Even after he had promised her that she would, Tony had gone to Abby about it.

She was beyond furious, but Ziva decided to go anyway. She was going to defend herself. No way would she allow them to tear into her. She did not need that, and she would not let it happen. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her. And she was going to make sure that they knew that.

* * *

**What's going to happen next? Will Ziva continue to be in denial? Find out soon, kiddos. In the meantime, let me know what you think.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Notes: Looks as though Ziva isn't too happy. But I cannot blame her. Then again, Tony and company are just concerned. Anyway, we are about to find out what happens next. The next chapter is coming right now.**

**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. Prince-Bishop: All of that will be explained in this chapter. I promise. Gingerstorm101: I agree, but sometimes, weddings can make people go a little…crazy. Nando2k50: Yeah, probably not one of his best moments. But you'll see why it was done that way. =) TotalCowgirl: Thank you! Lily G. Parker: You'll see. That's all I can say. ;)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Conference**

* * *

By the end of the day, Ziva was fuming. The others had avoided contact with her. The only time that they would speak to her was if it was a question related to work. She kept mulling over the email in her head, which did nothing to improve her mood. When six o'clock hit, Ziva was ready to confront them. She demanded answers, and she was going to get them.

Ziva took the elevator down to Abby's lab. When she got out, Ziva noticed that she could not hear any music. Everyone else was already waiting for her. They had been chatting amongst themselves before she had walked in. Once they had heard the door open, the chatter died. Ziva felt very uncomfortable as her colleagues stared at her. Little did she know that they were just as uncomfortable.

Inwardly, Tony was really struggling. It was very difficult to see Ziva like this, but he felt as though he did not have a choice. He could not continue to watch her starve herself. However, he hated that it had to come to this. When he thought back to how this meeting came to be, Tony wondered if maybe it could have been done differently.

* * *

**Flashback**

* * *

"Why have you called us here, Tony?" inquired Abby, arms folded across her chest.

"Yeah, what's going on?" chimed in Tim, looking equally confused.

"Something is wrong with Ziva," explained Tony. "I cannot get her to eat more than once a day. She exercises more than she used to. Not to mention, she's always in a very touchy mood."

"Are you sure it isn't pre-wedding jitters?" suggested Jimmy. "Breena had those before our big day."

"Oh, I think that it is much more than that, Mister Palmer," said Ducky, in a matter-of-fact tone. "I remember one time when my friend Reginald was set to marry a girl named Florence. Florence was an exotic dancer, so she was in tip top shape. Not an ounce of fat on her body. All muscle. Anyway, Florence had the ridiculous idea that she must fit into a wedding dress that was a size zero. So she starved herself until she could fit into that dress. The night before the wedding, Florence's friend, Maureen, threw a bachelorette party for her. There was plenty of drinking going on and Maureen had hired a male stripper. The stripper started dancing in front of Florence, and Florence got up to join him. Halfway through the song, Florence collapsed and fell to the ground. She had had massive failure from her major organs, and died on the spot. Poor Reginald was crushed. I don't think that he ever married again. Lived his life in solitude as a mountain man in Tennessee until he died."

"That's a lovely story, Duck," stated Tony, not really thinking that it was lovely. "And I know that I do not want Ziva to end up like Flo, so we have to do something to help her. Any suggestions? And no, boss, slapping her on the back of the head will not work."

Gibbs glared at Tony. Tony was glad that he was out of reach for a Gibbs-slap. But McGee wasn't. Tony felt McGee move to slap the back of his head. With ninja-like reflexes to rival Ziva's, Tony grabbed McGee's hand before it hit his head.

"Nice try, McSneak, but you'll have to be quicker than that," taunted Tony, giving McGee a look.

"I vote that we give Ziva an intervention," declared Abby, bringing the conversation back to it's original topic.

Everyone but Tony nodded in approval. Tony was very wary of this method. He was certain that Ziva would not like it all.

"I don't know," stated Tony, tentatively. "She's not going to like it. She'll probably feel as though we are ganging up on her."

"We're not ganging up on her," retorted Abby. "We are trying to address the problem. Let her know how we feel about the way that things are going. It'll be a good, healthy experience."

"This is a really great way to get our point across," Tim chimed in. "There has to be a way that we can help her. And I think that this is that way."

"No, there has to be another way," demanded Tony. He looked over at the other three. "Do you guys have any other ideas?"

Jimmy shook his head, too terrified to speak.

"Counseling," Gibbs said, simply.

"Yes, counseling," agreed Ducky. "Maybe it is not so much intervention as it is counseling?"

"Ziva isn't likely to be fond of it no matter what it is called," said Tony, while the others nodded in agreement. "But I feel that this might be the best way. Let's do our best to make her feel comfortable. This is going to be very hard for her. Which brings me to my next question, how are we going to tell her? I mean, where are we going to hold this counseling session and how do we get Ziva to come?"

"We could hold it here in my lab," Abby offered. "I could make punch and bring cookies. That would make it way more comfortable. It would feel more like we were hanging out rather than counseling. You know, chatting amongst friends."

"That's a good idea," said Tony, smiling at Abby.

"And someone could send out an email," said Tim.

"An email? Are you kidding me, McComputer?" Tony asked, his voice rising.

"Well, we can't just flat out tell her that we want to talk to her about her weight," Tim defended himself. "I doubt that she would take that well."

"Touche," said Tony, rubbing his arm. "So, how do we want to decide who sends the email?"

"Well, I would think that would be obvious, DiNozzo," said Gibbs. "You should send it."

"Why me?" asked Tony.

"Because you are the one that she will be least mad at," stated Tim.

"No, she would be angrier if it was me," retorted Tony.

"I'll do it," Abby declared. "I'm the second person that she would be least mad at."

"Well, that settles it," said Tim, grinning at Abby.

* * *

**End Flashback**

* * *

Tony rubbed the back of his head, nervously. He supposed that the only thing that he could have done differently was the location. Abby's lab was a weird place for counseling. A more public place, such as a bar, might have been a better venue. Then again, maybe a bar was an even worse idea. People sitting around getting trashed while trying to convince a friend that they had an eating problem? Yeah, not a great plan.

"I do not pretend to not know what this is about," stated Ziva, clearly. "I know that you all think that I have an eating problem. I can assure you that is not the case."

"Oh, really," said Abby in disbelief. "What did you eat today, Ziva?"

"I had a salad, a sandwich, and an egg bagel," Ziva rattled off.

The others looked at Tony for confirmation. Tony shook his head from side to side. It was awful that it had to come to this. However, it was for her own good. Nothing would change if Ziva kept up this routine. Tony would be damned if he allowed anything bad to happen to her.

"The salad and sandwich I can confirm," Tony said. "But she did not eat breakfast this morning. I would know if she did."

"I ate the bagel while you were in the shower," Ziva said, defensively.

"No, you did not," retorted Tony. "I would have seen the bagel wrapper in the garbage."

"You are looking in the garbage for wrappers now!" shrieked Ziva.

"I am an investigator, Ziva," responded Tony, miffed. "That is what I do. And I wouldn't have to if you would eat properly."

Ziva's mouth opened and closed like a fish. No sound came out. She was just stunned.

"You are one to talk," Ziva shouted, angry. "You could stand to lose a few pounds, but here you are. You chose to stuff yourself with cookies instead of picking a healthier option."

Tony dropped the snicker doodle that he was holding. It fell to the ground. Tony was about to say something in response when Ducky cut in.

"Don't say something that you two will regret later," Ducky said, placing a hand on Ziva and Tony soothingly. "Remember why we are here. Don't start any new arguments."

Ziva and Tony stared at Ducky. They both looked like they wanted to continue their argument, but thought better of it. The look that Gibbs gave them forced the couple to drop their disagreement for the time being. Pleased that they had dropped the matter, Ducky spoke.

"Ziva, my dear, we are all gathered today because we are concerned about you. We don't like seeing you like this. I'd rather not see you end up like my poor friend Florence."

"What happened to Florence, Ducky?" asked Ziva, curious.

Ducky opened his mouth to speak, but Gibbs beat him to it.

"She died. She had a problem with not eating and it lead to her untimely death," stated Gibbs in that get-to-the-point-way. "We are all afraid that you are going down a similar path."

"Is it because you want to look great in your wedding dress?" questioned Tony. "Because I can tell you that you will be the best looking bride that I have ever seen regardless of what size your dress is."

Ziva smiled for the first time that day. Tony was rather sweet when he wanted to be. Everyone else was smiling as well.

"You are right, Tony," Ziva said, feeling a little ashamed. "I just wanted to look fabulous in the dress that I bought. It was a size too small, so I decided to lose a few pounds. Things just got out of hand after I lost the initial weight."

"Well, I know how we can remedy that," Tony said, walking over to the refreshment table. He put six cookies on a plate and filled a cup with punch. He handed the plate and drink to Ziva. "Eat up."

Ziva chuckled. After that, it seemed that all was well again. Ziva found that she was not as upset as she had previously thought. Sure, the way it was done was not the greatest. But she knew that her friends cared about her. That was the only reason that this happened. And she had been too stubborn at first to see that. Now, she knew for sure, and she was determined to not allow her weight to be an issue. Still, she was going to see to it that Tony lost a few pounds before the wedding. Nothing too drastic. Ziva decided that she would cut out his bad eating habits and replace it with healthy food.

Ziva's words had sparked something in Tony. If she was willing to start eating again, then maybe he should lay off the junk food. He looked down at his waist line, and did not like what he saw. His gut was protruding rather farther than he recalled. Not to mention, his breathing seemed a bit more strained than normal. His shirt felt pretty tight as well, and his pants too. A few stray zits dotted his face. Tony thought that this would not do. He had to get into better shape. Tomorrow, he decided, no more junk food. It was healthy food and exercise for this guy. Nothing else would do.

* * *

**Looks like Tony and Ziva are both turning over new leaves. Sorry about the delay in posting. Been busy with work. Anyway, let me know what you think. Good or bad, I want to hear it!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Notes: Well, that worked out better than I expected. Ziva realized that she had a problem. And now Tony is thinking that he could lose some weight. Don't worry, he won't go over the top. Just a few pounds. Mostly just getting rid of his gut.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. TotalCowGirl: Thank you! Gingerstorm101: Nah, I think that she's done with that. She's pretty determined not to. Prince-bishop: Yeah, it was nice having Ducky be the mediator. I originally was going to let it get out of hand, but that's not where my muse was taking me, so I changed it. I'm glad that I didn't go my initial route. Nando2k50: Yeah, I wish. I think that a lot of people would be better off.**

* * *

**Warning: Slightly suggestive content. Nothing graphic, but you have been warned.**

* * *

**And now, on with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Like a Rock**

* * *

Tony sat at his desk. He was holding a fork and picking at his Caesar salad. A half empty bottle of water sat at the corner of his desk. A crumpled sandwich wrapper was beside it. Each time that Tony took a bite of his salad, he wished that it was French fries instead.

"Wow, I didn't think that you would take this dieting thing seriously, but you have," commented Tim, looking stunned.

"Well, McThinMint, I realized that I need to fine tune my body. My wedding to Ziva is coming up, and I should look my best," answered Tony. "And I have not been doing that lately."

"Not too seriously, I see," said Tim, examining the sandwich wrapper. "A cheeseburger, really?"

"Baby steps, McHealthypants," replied Tony, tossing the sandwich wrapper.

Tony glanced over at Ziva's desk. In front of her, Ziva had a bowl of sweet and sour chicken that she was devouring. Tony smiled. It was nice to see her eat again. Tony turned back to Tim, who was still standing in front of his desk.

"Did you need something, Elf Lord?" Tony questioned, finishing the last of his salad.

"Just wanted to give you these," said Tim, placing a bag of almonds onto Tony's desk. "They help to stave off hunger. I ate them a lot when I was losing weight."

Tony was surprised, but grateful. He had just finished his salad and he was beginning to feel hungry again.

"Thank you," Tony said, tearing the bag of almonds open. He popped a few into his mouth. Tony made a face at the taste. It would take getting used to.

Six o' clock came and it was time for the MCRT team to go home. Since no major crimes had occurred that day, there was no reason for them to stay any longer. Tony shut his computer down and grabbed his bag. Tim and Ziva had already left for the day. Tony decided to head to the gym before going home. He wanted to get on the treadmill and run for a bit.

After thirty minutes on the treadmill, Tony decided to call it quits. Wiping his sweaty face with a towel, Tony grabbed his bottle of water. He drained it in a few large gulps. He walked over to the vending machine and purchased a Gatorade. As he sat, stretching, Tony drank the Gatorade. Once the cool down period was over, Tony grabbed his keys and his bag and headed home.

* * *

Ziva was preparing supper when Tony arrived. He snuck up behind her as she was stirring the contents of the pot, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She was so spooked by the sudden contact that she nearly upended the pot. Turning to face Tony, she waved a spoon furiously in the air.

"You really should not sneak up on me like that," Ziva scolded.

"I'm sorry, sweet cheeks," Tony replied, apologetically. "Just wanted to say hi."

Ziva smiled. "Hello." She crinkled her nose. "What is that smell?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry, I just came from the gym," responded Tony. He sniffed his armpit and recoiled from the smell. "I'll go shower."

"Good idea," said Ziva, returning to her boiling pot.

When Tony had showered and changed clothing, he returned to the kitchen. Ziva had just finished setting the table for dinner. Tony sniffed the air. A delightful aroma filled his nostrils. He sighed. Nothing like a home cooked meal.

"That was delicious curry, Ziva," said Tony, leaning back in his chair. "I could not eat another bite."

"Thank you, Tony," said Ziva, enjoying the praise. "And now for dessert."

"What did you have in mind?" asked Tony, curious.

Ziva walked over to Tony. She placed her hands onto his shoulders gently. She bent forward so that her face was only inches from Tony's ear. Goosebumps formed at her touch.

"Oh, you know," Ziva said with a drawl to her voice. "A little of this," she kissed his neck lightly. She chuckled as she felt Tony shiver slightly. "And a little of that." Ziva slipped her hands inside of his shirt and moved them slowly across his chest. Tony's heart was racing from her touch.

"I'd like a little more of both, please," declared Tony, nearly out of breath.

"Well, you know what to do," Ziva whispered into the shell of his ear.

Tony jumped up as Ziva backed away. Tony began gathering the plates, the silverware, and the pot used for cooking. In seconds, he had a vat of soapy, hot water for washing. Ten minutes later, Tony had washed all of the dishes. He decided to let them air dry so that he could get done quicker. _And get to dessert faster_, thought Tony.

After the leftovers were put away, Tony heard Ziva calling him. Excited, Tony made his way to their bedroom. Ziva was already lying in bed. She gazed seductively at him. Tony's grin widened. He walked over to Ziva and wrapped his arms around her. They started kissing. They embraced even closer. Tony was lost in the moment. And Ziva was not too far behind.

* * *

Tony had the biggest grin on his face when he woke up the next morning. Which was not unusual, considering that it was Friday. However, this grin was even bigger and brighter than his normal Friday grin. He glanced over at Ziva, who was still sleeping soundly, and smiled even more. He placed a kiss on her cheek. Ziva muttered and shifted at the touch. Tony watched as her eyes fluttered open. He kissed her lips this time.

"Good morning," Tony said, smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a rock," answered Ziva, yawning. "What time is it?"

Tony looked at his alarm clock. It was half past 5. Tony told Ziva the time.

"Well, we've got a little bit of time then," said Ziva, smiling at her partner.

They cuddled in bed for about fifteen minutes. After that, they decided to get up and get ready for work. Tony brushed his teeth while Ziva took a shower, and then they switched. Once they were ready for the day, Ziva and Tony drove to work. Tony could not get rid of his grin. He was so happy and felt so lucky to have Ziva. He could not wait to make her his wife. In a couple of months, she would be Missus Anthony DiNozzo. And Tony really liked the way that sounded.

* * *

**Well, what did you think? I tried not to make anything too graphic. It is rated T after all.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Notes: Looks like Tony's pretty serious about losing some weight. But let's see how long that lasts. Knowing him, probably not too long., Lol.**

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed. Prince-Bishop: Yeah, I think that when he saw how his body looked, he realized that it wouldn't hurt him to lose a few pounds. TotalCowGirl: Thank you. Gingerstorm101: That is true. I've done graphic before (in a story that is no longer on here. It was a slash between Oliver/Percy of the HP universe. I deleted that story), but I did not want to risk having this story taken down. It would be very hard for me to keep it T rated, and I felt like doing it the way I did was a safe option. Nando2k50: Yeah, I guess that's what DiNozzo considers baby steps. Lol ;) Tinkerbell90: Thank you. I really believe that if Tony was losing weight, McGee would probably lend some advice. Since he lost some weight in one of the previous seasons of NCIS.**

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**Warning: Severe hilarity to ensue! Not responsible for loss of breathing due to prolonged laughter. You have been warned.**

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**Chapter Twenty-Five: Scales Don't Lie**

* * *

"Ziva! Come here!" Tony called to his fiance from the bathroom.

Ziva barged into the bathroom. She was holding a knife in her right hand. Her eyes darted around the bathroom before landing on Tony. When she saw that he was okay, Ziva dropped the dagger.

"What're you doing carrying that around?" questioned Tony, pointing to the abandoned dagger.

"I thought that you were in trouble," replied Ziva, sheepishly. Then, she added, huffily. "Who on Earth yells like that, and is not in some sort of trouble anyway?"

"I was just calling you because I wanted you to see this," Tony stated, directing her attention to the scale.

Ziva walked over to the scale that Tony was standing on. The digital reader on the scale read two-hundred. Smiling, Ziva looked up to see a grinning Tony.

"It's been two weeks and I've lost twenty pounds," said Tony, feeling very proud of himself.

"That is quite an accomplishment, Tony," said Ziva, smiling at him.

"Yeah, it is," agreed Tony. "And I even feel more energetic as well. Should have done this a long time ago."

"Better late than never," said Ziva, giving Tony a brief hug.

Tony watched as Ziva bent down to pick up the knife. He was just admiring her assets when Ziva turned to face him. She grinned seductively at him.

"Like what you see?' she asked, a purr to her voice.

"Most definitely," answered Tony, licking his lips.

* * *

Ziva grinned and sauntered out of the bathroom. She swayed her hips purposefully just to keep Tony's attention. Tony's eyes were focused upon Ziva's retreating form until he could not see her. Once Ziva was out of sight, Tony hopped off of the scale. He walked over to the Ipod dock and turned it on. Picking a song, Tony started brushing his teeth. Once his teeth were brushed, Tony put on some deodorant. Tony started dancing slightly to the song. He was even singing the lyrics. The volume was up to full blast and Tony belted out the words at the top of his lungs.

"I'M SEXY AND I KNOW IT!"

At this point, Tony had given up putting his shirt on. Wearing only his boxers and socks, Tony DiNozzo was dancing in his bathroom. Little did he know that Ziva had reappeared. She had her phone out and was video taping Tony's dancing. It was very hard for the former Mossad agent to keep from laughing. Several times, she had to place her hand in front of her mouth to stop herself. This was made even more difficult by the fact that Tony picked up his shirt and swung it in circles around his head. He was still swaying in time to the music as he did this.

When the song ended, Ziva stopped recording and hid her phone. She did not want Tony to know what she had done. It was to be a surprise for later. Much later. But Tony did notice that she was standing there. He did not gasp or allow his eyes to widen in shock. Instead, Tony strolled over to where Ziva was standing. He placed one hand at the top of the entryway, and leaned casually against it.

"Did you enjoy that show?" he inquired.

"Oh, yes, it was very entertaining," answered Ziva. _And I am certain that Gibbs and company will find it entertaining as well, _thought Ziva.

"Well, if you thought that was entertaining, I could give you some real entertainment," suggested Tony, his eyebrows waggling.

"Well, someone certainly has a lot of stamina lately," replied Ziva, grinning.

"Yep, and it is all thanks to this new diet," responded Tony, wrapping his arms around Ziva. "So what do you say, sweet cheeks? Are you up for it?"

"Certainly," said Ziva, wrapping her arms around Tony's waist.

"Great," said Tony, letting go. "I'll go get my running shoes. We'll go for a run and then grab a shower together. Maybe have something to eat in between?"

"Sounds great," said Ziva, still processing what just happened.

"Wonderful," stated Tony, walking to the closet. He pulled out a pair of running shoes. Sitting on the couch, Tony began lacing them up. He was about to exit the house when Ziva called after him.

"Tony, are you forgetting something?"

Tony frowned. He did not think that something was missing. What could possibly be missing? He had his shoes and socks on. He did not like running with a shirt on. The shirts always chafed him and he did not want to deal with that. Then, it dawned on him. Tony was still in boxers. He could not run in boxers. That would just be weird.

"Thank you," Tony muttered. "I almost went out in these." He indicated the boxer shorts. "I'll go change."

After changing into a pair of shorts, Tony stretched while he waited on Ziva. She exited the house ten minutes later. Ziva wore a bright orange sports bra, and matching shoes and shorts. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. She grinned mischievously at Tony.

"Last one back has to wash the other first," Ziva whispered into Tony's ear before taking off.

Tony chuckled.

"Oh, you are so on!" Tony shouted as he dashed after her.

* * *

**Thought some laughter might be good for the story. It's been a bit too serious. And I like to add comic relief. I just hope that you guys liked it as well.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Notes: I want to start off by saying that when I posted the previous chapter, I had no idea about Cote leaving the show. I had heard rumors, but I just assumed that they were rumors and did not pay attention to them. Now, it looks like she really is leaving. Which is really, really sad and devastating to me. **

**I will be continuing this story. I'm going to put a tag on this story since it is now going to be AU (alternate universe).**

* * *

**Thank you to everyone for their continued support of this story. Ely101ncisfan: You're welcome. I'm glad that I posted that. Seems like that was what was needed. Prince-bishop: Yes, he is. I think that he feels like a new man. I can't believe it either. I wonder if maybe she will return for a guest appearance? Even Sasha Alexander (Kate) did. So maybe Tiva doesn't have to die? A girl can dream. Lol. Gingerstorm101: Yeah, probably not. Would be pretty hilarious if they did. TotalCowGirl: Thanks, I am glad that I made you laugh. Guest: Signed it! And you're welcome!**

* * *

**Oh, by the way, there is a petition to get Cote to stay. **** en-AU/petitions/cbs-television-studios-bring-cote- de-pablo-back-to-ncis**

**Please go to it! If we have enough signatures, she could change her mind!**

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**Chapter Twenty-Six: Ohh Baby!**

* * *

Jimmy Palmer was not himself today. He was very anxious. Every time that he heard his cell phone ring, Jimmy leapt a foot in the air before answering. But it was always a telemarketer. He kept pacing around autopsy, unable to focus on his work. After a while, Ducky was starting to get annoyed.

"Mister Palmer," Ducky said to him, watching the young man pace.

Jimmy was muttering to himself. He kept taking out his cell phone and looking at it. His eyes were panicky and he was twitching. Ducky shook his head and called after the young man again. When Jimmy did not answer him a second time, Ducky raised his voice.

"Mister Palmer, are you ignoring me?" questioned Ducky, in a loud, clear voice.

Jimmy seemed to just notice the doctor. He was staring at Ducky as though he were a new species.

"I know that today is a big day for you, mister Palmer, but could you please get back to work," Ducky pleaded with him.

"Sorry, Doctor Mallard," said Jimmy, apologetically.

"Oh, it is quite alright, my dear boy," said Ducky, smiling at Jimmy. "The birth of a child is nerve-wracking, but it is also very beautiful and special. I do not, unfortunately, have any children of my own, but I have heard that the birth of a child can change the parents drastically."

"Great, something else for me to be worried about," muttered Jimmy, anxiously glancing at his phone again.

"Well, who is to say that the change will be for the worst, Mister Palmer?" answered Ducky, frowning at his assistant.

"It is always a change for the worst with me," said Jimmy, looking gloomy. "Why should this time be any different?"

"Jimmy, I am sure that you are incorrect in that statement," declared Ducky. "You will be a great father. And Breena will be a wonderful mother."

It was Ducky calling him Jimmy that calmed him down the most. Usually, it was Mister Palmer. Rarely did Doctor Mallard call him Jimmy. That really got his attention.

"You really think so Ducky?" questioned Jimmy, looking directly at Ducky.

Ducky nodded and placed a hand on Jimmy's shoulder.

"Yes, I do."

Jimmy grinned at Ducky. It was very reassuring to hear those words from Ducky. Doctor Mallard was not just a colleague to him. The young assistant thought of Ducky as a friend.

Just then, Jimmy's phone rang. Plunging his hand into his pocket, Jimmy retrieved his cell phone. He answered it. Ducky could tell that it was Breena by the change in Jimmy's facial expression. Jimmy seemed to listen as Breena spoke. When he did answer her, Jimmy stuttered. Pretending not to watch, Ducky returned to his work. He did not want to make Jimmy more nervous than he already was. However, he did catch little snippets of the conversation.

* * *

"Twins, are you sure?" asked Jimmy, his voice faltering. Breena's response made Jimmy's eyes widen. "No, that's wonderful! I am a father of twins! Are they girls, boys, or one of each?"

Ducky chuckled in the background. One baby at once was one thing. Twins were quite another. The Palmers were going to have their hands full. That was a certainty.

When Jimmy hung up the phone, he let out a happy scream. Within seconds, Abby was down in autopsy. So was Gibbs, DiNozzo, Ziva, and McGee. All four looked wary. As soon as they saw Jimmy, their expressions softened.

"I am a father to twins!" shouted Jimmy, excitedly.

He hugged Abby, Ducky, DiNozzo, McGee, and Ziva. He faltered when it was Gibbs' turn. Gibbs, however, surprised him. Gibbs pulled Palmer into a one armed hug.

"Congratulations, Jimmy," Gibbs said to the autopsy assistant.

Jimmy beamed at Gibbs. "Thank you. Everyone!"

"So, are they girls or boys?" asked DiNozzo, grinning at his friend.

"Girls," answered Jimmy. "Their names are Imogene and Violet."

"Pretty," commented Abby. The others nodded in agreement. "So, when do we get to meet them?"

"After work, if you'd like," stated Jimmy. "I'm going to go straight to the hospital after I get off. I'm sure that Breena would love for all of you to visit her and the babies."

Everyone agreed to visit Breena, Violet, and Imogene at the hospital post work. When it was time to leave NCIS headquarters, it was a race to their cars. Each wanted to be the first one there. It was Palmer who arrived first. He made it to Breena's room before anyone else did. Breena smiled warmly at her husband. She then directed his attention to the two bundles of joy beside her.

* * *

Jimmy's heart raced as he looked at Imogene and Violet. Both were spitting images of Breena, but they had his nose and eyes. Jimmy gazed at the two babies. It was as though it would never be enough just to look at them briefly. So much love flooded his heart as he looked upon his children. A tear rolled down his cheek. Jimmy raised his sleeve to wipe it away.

"Can I hold them?" asked Jimmy, looking at his wife.

Breena nodded happily. She pressed a button on her bed. Instantly, a nurse entered the room. Jimmy was already holding Violet in one arm. The nurse helped him to hold Imogene in the other.

"There's a small group of people here to see you guys," stated the nurse, pleasantly. "Do you want them to come in? They aren't family, so it is really up to you."

"They are family," answered Breena, simply. "Please, let them in."

The nurse smiled with understanding and opened the door. She ushered in Gibbs and the rest of the team. The nurse then shut the door behind her. Everyone swarmed around Jimmy, who was holding the babies. They cooed over the precious little ones. Everyone had their turn of holding Imogene and Violet.

After turning Imogene over to McGee, Ziva walked over to Breena. She bent down and gave her friend a hug. When they broke the embrace, Ziva grinned at her friend.

"They are beautiful, Breena," she said.

"Thank you," responded Breena. "Maybe some day soon, you'll have some little ones of your own with Tony."

"Hopefully after the wedding," commented Ziva, quickly glancing at her fiance then back at Breena, blushing.

"Only a few weeks away," Breena reminded her. "How're you feeling, by the way? No pre-wedding jitters, I hope?"

"Nope, I am doing wonderful," replied Ziva. "I just cannot wait for it to be over. The wedding planner is driving me crazy with all of the details."

"I felt the same way before my wedding," stated Breena, making Ziva feel a little better. "The planner called me 24/7 a week before the wedding. I had to turn my phone on silent just to get some peace."

"I will murder mine if he does that to me," responded Ziva.

Breena chuckled. "I don't blame you."

At ten o' clock, the nurse kicked everyone except for Jimmy out of the room. After saying their goodbyes, they left the new parents alone. The team stopped at a bar. They ordered their drinks and toasted to the new babies. After a few hours, everyone went home. It had been a good night, but sleep was in order. They had to work the next day.

* * *

**Congratulations to Breena and Jimmy. They're parents…to twins. Definitely going to be interesting to see how this plays out. Let me know what you think!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. TotalCowGirl: Thank you! Prince-Bishop: Thank you, and I agree. But I'm really hoping that maybe she will choose to make a few guest appearances. Countrynciscatlover: Yeah, with everything going on, I really wanted to add some happy fluffiness. I think it would be a crime to kill her off after eight seasons. They should either have her take another post in the US or go back to Mossad in my opinion. K444: Thank you! Will do. Someoneslove: No, thank you very much for your kind words. Jakefan: Thanks. =)**

* * *

**This is going to be the bachelor party for Tony. I am going to do a separate chapter for the girls. This will take place two days before the wedding. I realize that it is tradition to do the bachelor/bachelorette party the day before the wedding, but I'm saying to hell with tradition. ;)**

* * *

**Warning: Might be a slightly OOC Gibbs and Ducky.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Boys' Night Out!**

* * *

"Did Jimmy give any clues as to where they are taking me?" asked Tony as he pulled his shirt on.

"No, and even if he did, I would not tell you," responded Ziva, eyeing Tony from the bed.

"Oh, come on," whined Tony, looking pleadingly at his wife-to-be. "It is killing me not knowing."

"That is because you are nosy," said Ziva, smirking. "Besides, is the surprise not half of the fun?"

"I hate surprises," grumbled Tony, buttoning his pants. When he finished buttoning his pants, Tony turned to face Ziva. "How do I look?"

Tony turned slowly on the spot. As he turned, Ziva examined him thoroughly. When he stopped spinning, Tony looked at her, awaiting an answer.

"Hello handsome," praised Ziva, eyeing Tony hungrily.

It was Tony's turn to smirk. Ziva got up from the bed. She walked over to Tony. Wrapping her arms around him, Ziva held him close to her. The scent of bergamot filled her nostrils. She sighed.

"You know, we could have our own party right here," suggested Ziva, lifting her face to gaze into Tony's eyes. Her fingertip brushed lightly against Tony's chest. She felt him quiver at her touch.

Tony sighed.

"As much as I would love that, I do not want to disappoint Jimmy," replied Tony, apologetically. "He worked really hard to put my bachelor party together."

"You are right," said Ziva, looking slightly put-out.

Tony lifted Ziva's chin with his finger. Emerald eyes found chocolate brown. Tony grinned a thousand-watt smile.

"There's always our wedding night," whispered Tony, waggling his eyebrows.

Ziva grinned. She leaned forward and kissed Tony on the lips. Tony gladly reciprocated the kiss. His tongue parted her lips and she accepted it without hesitation. Their tongues started to tango and Ziva's fingers moved deftly to remove Tony's shirt buttons. Ziva had removed the third button and was working on the fourth when they heard the doorbell ring. They ignored it, but the doorbell rang again.

Sighing in slight frustration, Tony pulled away from Ziva. He did not even bother buttoning his shirt. When he opened the door, everything went dark. Someone had put a blindfold over his eyes. Tony yelled. Ziva was alerted by the scream, but she did not reach the door in time. Whoever had taken Tony had already thrown him into the backseat of a car, and driven away.

* * *

"Where are you taking me? I will have you know that I am a federal agent," shouted Tony, unable to remove the blindfold to see his captors.

"Tony, relax. It is us," said the familiar voice of McGee. "You were not really kidnapped."

"McGoo!" said Tony, happily. "Wow, so this was part of my bachelor's party? You sure got me there! Now, can you remove the blindfold?"

"Not until we have reached our destination," said the voice of Jimmy Palmer.

"Et tu, Jimmy?" Tony replied, quoting Julius Caesar.

"Trust me, Tony, you're going to have the night of your life," said Jimmy, who Tony gathered to be driving.

Tony felt the car stop. McGee and Jimmy got out of the car. Tony heard the car doors slam before another one opened. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the car. Tony heard the door shut behind him. Jimmy locked the car.

"Come on," said McGee, who was holding onto Tony's arm. "Everyone is waiting inside."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting, McKidnap," said Tony, grinning.

McGee ushered Tony inside. Once they had entered, Tony heard a bunch of familiar voices calling his name. McGee stopped Tony. He began untying the blindfold. Once the blindfold had been removed, Tony looked around. All of his old college buddies, Stan Burley, Ducky and Gibbs were in attendance. And they were in a bar. Tony grinned widely and held out his arms.

"The man of the hour has arrived, gentlemen!" Tony shouted, gleefully. "Your wait is over! Time to party!"

"Jules and Yvonne, can you come here, please?" Jimmy called out.

A very attractive blonde in a skimpy outfit sauntered over to them. The blonde was followed by an equally attractive redhead in a barely there outfit. Neither girl could not have been older than twenty-five. Jules' long hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. Yvonne's hair was free flowing and down to her shoulders. Every male in the party group was eyeing them lustily.

"This is Jules and Yvonne," said Jimmy, gesturing towards the girls. "Jules and Yvonne have agreed to be part of the festivities tonight. They are law students at George Washington by day. By night, they're call girls."

Tony's grin kept growing. This already was a very good night. What could possibly make it better?

Tim ordered a bottle of tequila from the bartender. Jimmy took out a bag that had a container of salt and several slices of lime. Once the bartender brought the bottle of tequila and several shot glasses, Jimmy told Jules and Yvonne to lie on their backs on the bar table. The two girl obeyed.

"Our guest of honor will go first," said Jimmy, holding the tequila and shot glass out to Tony.

Tony poured the tequila into the shot glass. At the same time, Jimmy squirted the lime onto Yvonne and Jules' stomachs. Tim sprinkled some salt onto the girls' stomachs. Tony took a shot of the tequila and licked the salt and lime off of the girls' stomachs. Everyone who was watching cheered. One by one, the other men took their turns. Gibbs ignored the blonde completely and went for the redhead, which was no surprise. Once the bottle of tequila was gone, the game ended.

* * *

Next, Tony received a lap dance from both girls. Tony's grin widened. He was having a great time. He caught Jimmy's eye and gave him a thumbs up. Jimmy returned both the grin and the thumbs up. Tony was surprised that his bachelor's party was turning out so well. When Jimmy had originally volunteered, Tony admitted that he felt a bit scared. Jimmy was a relatively new friend, and Tony did not know what kind of bash Jimmy would throw. Turns out that Tony had no need to be afraid. This bachelor's party was awesome.

After the bar, Tony was whisked away to a gambling boat that roamed the Potomac. The rest of the night was spent gambling and drinking as much as they could. One of Tony's college friends had taken custody of the girls after they got off of the boat. Jimmy and McGee shared a cab with Tony. The three friends walked arm-in-arm with each other into the DiNozzo residence. Jimmy collapsed onto the couch while McGee took the arm chair. Tony sprawled himself out onto the floor.

Tony's grin never left his face. Tonight had indeed been one of the best in his life. It was exactly how he had pictured his bachelor's party to be. He felt sated. Tony could not wait to marry Ziva. He was ready to begin his life with her. With thoughts of Ziva running through his head, Tony drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Wow, Palmer threw quite the bachelor's party. Totally was not expecting that. My muse surprises me at times. Lol**


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Notes: Looks like it is the girls' turn for their own little party. With Abby hosting, what sort of shenanigans will ensue?**

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**Special thanks to everyone who favorited, reviewed, and followed this story. Prince-bishop: Yeah, I wish that they would have given us Tiva before now too. It's very frustrating knowing that Tiva will probably not become a reality. I know that it is wishful thinking, but perhaps Tiva doesn't have to die? If she (Cote) does some guest appearances, Tiva can still live on. K444: Thank you! Countryncislover: Yes, he does. Who knew that he had it in him? Thanks, I will be continuing this story for a little while yet. By that, I mean until it naturally ends. TotalCowGirl: Thanks! You're in luck because the next chapter is coming right meow. Gingerstorm101: That's alright. We've had a lot of thunderstorms in our area lately. I'm actually surprised that I have been able to post to be honest.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!**

* * *

"I take it that your bachelor's party was a success, no?" questioned Ziva, smirking.

Tony had just woken up. He looked around. Jimmy and Tim were nowhere to be found. Tony looked at his watch. It was two o' clock in the afternoon. Tony brushed his hair back with his hand to smooth down his bed-head.

"Jimmy and Tim left a few hours ago," explained Ziva, noticing that Tony was searching for his friends.

"Where did you sleep last night?" asked Tony, remembering that Ziva was not home.

"I stayed over at Abby's last night," replied Ziva. "I was drunk and I did not want to call a cab."

"What sort of wild and crazy things did Miss Scuito subject you to last night?" questioned Tony, looking very interested.

"What did Mister Palmer have in store for you?" retorted Ziva.

"On second thought, I'd rather not know," replied Tony, grimacing slightly.

Ziva smiled and walked away. Truthfully, she did not really want to know what went on at Tony's bachelor's party. She had watched enough movies with Tony to know that much. Although, Ziva decided that knowing Jimmy, it could not have been anything too bad or indecent. Instead, Ziva thought about her bachelorette party. Now that was a night that she would never forget.

* * *

**Flashback**

* * *

Shortly after Tony had been kidnapped, someone was knocking on the door. Ziva opened the door. Six shirtless men were standing there. Between them, a throne-like chair sat. Ziva admired the very well-built men. As she was gawking, two of the men stepped forward. One man placed a silver crown on top of her head. The other man put a sash that Bride-to-be around her torso. The other four men carried her to the throne. Once Ziva was properly seated, the six men hoisted the throne off of the ground.

When they were out of the house, Ziva noticed that Abby and Breena were waiting for her. Some of Ziva's other friends, including ladies from the book club, were gathered around Abby and Breena. Ziva grinned at her friends from her chariot. The girls beamed back at her.

"Where are we going?" asked Ziva.

"You will see," said Abby, grinning mysteriously.

The bachelorette party followed Ziva's chariot. Abby and Breena led the way, tossing confetti as they went. Everyone else had noise makers, and they were making quite a racket. Passers-by gaped at the party as they marched down the street. The women were staring at the shirtless men. One woman tried to kiss one of the men, but she was roughly pushed away by another. Mostly, people just offered their congratulations to Ziva.

Finally, they reached their destination. Ziva assumed that the men would put her down when they were about to enter the building, but they did not. They carried her inside. Once everyone had arrived at their designated spot, the men did put the chariot down. Two of the men helped Ziva off of the chariot. When Ziva's feet were planted on solid ground again, each of the men knelt to kiss Ziva's hand.

"I'll send you the check in the mail," Abby whispered to one of the men. Then, in a slightly louder voice, Abby added. "Thanks for all of your help. You guys were fantastic."

The group of men nodded. They picked up the chariot and exited the building. It was then that Ziva realized where she was. They were in a dance club. And not just any dance club. It was Lavolta, the best dance club in town. Ziva had heard good things about this place. Unfortunately, she had never been here until now.

Everyone ordered their drinks. They laughed and talked as they drank. Ziva opened up presents from her friends. Once they were good and sloshed, everyone was feeling up for a little dancing.

"Come on!" Breena yelled over the loud, pulsating music. "Let's dance."

The others agreed and joined the other gyrating bodies out on the dance floor. Lasers moved in time with the music. Multi-colored foam shot out of blasters from the stage where the deejay was. As they danced, Ziva and the girls threw foam at each other playfully. Laughing like mad, the women kept up their fun.

"Alright ladies," Abby called out to her friends a few hours later. "It is time for phase two of the bachelorette party."

Altogether, the ladies exited the club. Abby hailed a couple of cabs. The girls were singing joyously as the cabbies took them to their next destination. When they arrived, the girls were starting to sober up. Abby paid the taxi fare and ushered Ziva and the others to the next stop.

Ziva looked up at the plane that was parked on the runway. She looked in confusion at Abby.

"What are we doing?" asked Ziva, completely confused and not entirely sober.

"We're going sky diving," Abby said, looking excited and happy.

"Sky diving," repeated Ziva. "Are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"It's perfectly safe, Ziva," responded Abby. "We'll be strapped to a trained professional."

The other girls were excited. They were chattering at a record pace. Ziva was feeling a bit nervous but she was excited as well. Sky diving was something that she had never done before. However, she was aching to try it.

"Okay, I trust you, Abby," declared Ziva, smiling.

"Great, let's get going."

The girls entered the plane. An instructor briefed them on the proper use of their airbags. By now, the girls were almost completely sober. Which was a good thing. They would need their wits about them. The instructor paired them off with a trained professional. Ziva was paired with the instructor himself. As they were strapped together, the instructor congratulated Ziva on her upcoming nuptials. Ziva did not have time to thank him. They were already diving out of the plane.

The rush of cool night air was exhilarating. Ziva looked up and saw the clouds falling away from her. When she looked down, the ground appeared to be attempting to swallow her whole. Looking around, Ziva saw the others were having as much fun as she was. Ziva let out a whoop of laughter. This was so much fun!

Too soon, the instructor pulled the rip cord. A large, white parachute zipped out behind them, slowing their descent. Ziva felt her feet hit the ground, but collapse under her. Ziva spat some dirt from her mouth. The instructor helped Ziva to her feet.

"You did a good job," said the instructor. "Especially since you aren't sober."

"Thanks," replied Ziva, not sure what to think of the comment.

The rest of the night was spent bar-hopping. She crashed at Abby's place after the last bar. It was eleven in the morning when Ziva arrived home. Passing through the living room, Ziva saw Jimmy, Tony, and Tim passed out in various spots. Sneaking past so that she did not wake them up, Ziva made her way to the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

**End Flashback**

* * *

Yes, Ziva had thoroughly enjoyed herself last night. The gothic forensic scientist sure knew how to throw a party. The sky-diving was a bit extreme, but it was fun nevertheless. Although, Ziva would be lying to herself if she said that her favorite part was not the men carrying her. It was nice to be escorted by a half dozen strong, muscular men. Usually, she had to be the bodyguard. And it did not hurt that those men were handsome either. It made Ziva feel like a queen.

Now that the bachelorette party was over, Ziva was even more ecstatic about marrying Tony. Tomorrow was the big day. Today was the last day that she would be known as Ziva David. She would become Missus Anthony DiNozzo Junior tomorrow.

* * *

**Wow, Abby sure likes to take things to the extreme. I'm not even sure that it is legal to sky-dive even if you are a little buzzed. But for the story's sake, let's say it is. ;) Let me know what you think. Drop me a line.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Notes: Wow, up over a hundred reviews! Did not expect that at all! Thank you guys so much! Wow, I'm just…stunned at the support!**

**This chapter will be Tony and Ziva's wedding. I don't know for sure how many chapters are left. I'm writing this as I go, so it could be four or it could be more. I have no idea, really. It all depends on the story and my muse.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. Krikanalo: Thank you, I will do my best. TotalCowGirl: Yeah, I thought so too. Leave it to her to do something extreme like that. Lol. Prince-Bishop: Probably too much. Lol. She's a professional liar most definitely. ;) MrsZivaDiNozzo: Thank you so much! Guest: Thank you for clarifying. I wasn't entirely sure. =) Countrynciscatlover: Lol right? I wonder how she would react? Probably be too shocked to do anything. Yeah, I love traveling myself. Always wanted to go to England or Australia. Maybe someday. NotInvisibleToBTR: Will do. K444: Thank you. And I won't. Like you said, we don't know anything yet. ;)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Mister and Missus Anthony DiNozzo Junior**

* * *

Tony adjusted his tie for the fiftieth time in ten minutes. He was pacing around the small room. Tim, Jimmy, and Rick, who was one of DiNozzo's college buddies, were watching him. Tony kept muttering to himself as he paced. Finally, the other men had had enough of Tony's pacing.

"Tony, stop. You're going to wear a hole through the carpet," said Jimmy, placing hands on either side of his friend's shoulder to stop him.

"Yeah, any more walking in a circle, and you'll fall through the hole and hurt yourself," McGee chimed in. Then, he added. "And Ziva won't be too happy if you have to go to the hospital before you are even married."

"You're right, McWorrywart," said Tony, using one of his many McNicknames for McGee. "I'm just a little scared."

"Never thought I'd hear those words," stated Rick, grinning. "DiNozzo and scared do not seem to mix."

"Well, some things change," snapped Tony, a little irritated for no real reason. "I'm going into the unknown here. I'm getting married."

"Hey, sorry man. I was just trying to lighten the mood," responded Rick, holding his hands up in front of him.

Tony's expression seemed to soften. He was feeling a bit guilty for yelling at his friend. He was just a little tense. Tony apologized to Rick. Rick waved his apology away.

"I understand," he replied, still grinning. "I felt the same way before I married Tracy."

McGee peered down at his wristwatch. He looked up at Tony.

"You should make your way to the altar," McGee declared. "We'd better get going too. The ceremony is about to start."

With one last look in the mirror, Tony exited the room. Their wedding guests were already seated. Tony scanned the area. Ducky was sitting next to a redhead that Tony did not know. Tony waved at Ducky. Ducky waved back. The redhead merely smiled at him. Director Vance was seated in the row in front of the redhead and Ducky. He nodded when Tony acknowledged him. Tony saw a bunch of people that he did not recognize, but knew that they were representing Ziva. Their Israeli features were too prominent to be mistaken. In the front row, Tony's father was seated. Tony grimaced when he saw that his dad had brought a date. The unlucky girl had to be at least ten years younger than Tony. Her wavy brunette locks swept past her shoulders and bangs accented her round face nicely. The wine-colored dress emphasized certain assets that the girl possessed. Tony changed to a smile when his dad noticed him.

Tony greeted the priest as he reached the altar. The priest was an elderly man in his early seventies. He was clean shaven with a full head of cotton-white hair. His face was lined with many wrinkles due to old age. The man was thin and looked to be at least five feet tall. He looked as though one good gust of wind would knock him over. Tony silently prayed that that did not happen.

"Nervous, son?" asked the priest, with a kind smile.

"A bit," admitted Tony. He wasn't going to lie to a priest. What good would that do?

The old priest placed a hand on Tony's shoulder.

"I felt the same way before marrying my Eloise," replied the priest, smiling warmly. "But it was the best day of my life, and I would do it all over again. As a matter of fact, we're renewing our vows for our 50th wedding anniversary next month. I can say that I have never been happier than the day that I married Eloise. I only hope that I can have another fifty years with her. Perhaps the good Lord will grant me that."

"One can only hope, sir," replied Tony, feeling a little less nervous.

The priest did not say anything more. He smiled and instructed Tony where to stand. Tony obeyed. He faced the crowd of people and waited. The flower girl was the first to come through the doors. She carried a basket of forget-me-nots with her, tossing them as she went. The guests cooed over the cuteness of the flower girl. Next, Abby marched in, arm-in-arm with McGee. Breena and Palmer followed her, trailed by Rick and a blonde by the name of Naomi. All of the girls looked beautiful in their matching cerulean and gold dresses. The men looked dashing as well in their tuxes. A blue rose tipped with gold was pinned to each tux.

* * *

As the music began to play, the wedding guests stood up. Everyone gasped as Ziva entered the room. All of the air in Tony's lungs seemed to have left him as he gazed at Ziva. She looked like a goddess in her wedding dress. It was strapless and very form fitting. The bottom of the dress was very mermaid-like. The dress hugged every curve that Ziva's body had. Ziva's makeup was very natural looking, but very well-done as well. Tony thought that she looked even more gorgeous than she had before. Her long, raven hair was pulled back into an elegant bun that sat atop her head.

She was being escorted down the aisle by Gibbs. Ziva had asked Gibbs to step in for her deceased father for the occasion. Gibbs had not hesitated to agree. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was looking quite dapper in his tuxedo. Like the groomsmen, Gibbs had a blue rose tipped in gold on his lapel.

When they reached the altar, Gibbs leaned in to Tony's ear. Gibbs still had a grasp on Ziva's hand. When he spoke, Gibbs made sure that only Tony could hear him.

"Screw this up, DiNozzo, and you'll have to answer to me."

Tony gulped but nodded in understanding. Smirking, Gibbs kissed Ziva on the cheek. He shook Tony's hand. After Gibbs had made his way to his seat, Tony laced his fingers into Ziva's. Then, the ceremony started.

Tony and Ziva could not keep from crying as they read their vows to each other. There was not a dry eye in the place. Everyone was a bit tearful as they listened to the vows. When the priest finally declared them man and wife, Tony kissed Ziva passionately. The guests cheered and clapped for the newlyweds.

Gibbs stepped in once again during the father-daughter dance. Ziva was finding it rather difficult to not cry during the dance. She buried her head in Gibbs' shoulder and sobbed as they danced. Gibbs just kept swaying to the music. He gently patted her back in a soothing way.

"I am sorry, I just cannot help it," Ziva muttered incoherently into Gibbs' shoulder.

"I know," Gibbs whispered. "It's okay. I'm here. You still have family."

When the song ended, Tony's father cut in. He claimed that he wanted a turn to dance with his daughter-in-law. Gibbs graciously backed away and allowed Senior his moment with Ziva. Ziva wiped her tears away, but not before Senior had noticed. He frowned at her as he took her in his arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Aren't you happy to be married to my son?"

"It is not that," replied Ziva, forcing herself to smile. "I am thrilled to finally be married to Tony. I was just wishing that my father could be here to celebrate with us, but that is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible," responded Senior. "Where is your father? Is he in Israel still? Why would he miss his daughter's wedding?"

"He is dead," explained Ziva, fighting back tears.

"Oh," said Senior, awkwardly. "I see. I am sorry for your loss, Ziva."

"It is fine, Mister DiNozzo," said Ziva, grinning. "You did not know."

* * *

The song ended and Ziva felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. She saw Senior smile and walk away. Ziva felt herself spin around. When she stopped, Ziva was facing her husband. A thousand-watt smile was planted onto his face as he gazed at his wife. The smile was so infectious that Ziva could not help grinning herself.

"Is my lovely wife enjoying herself?" inquired Tony, beaming at Ziva.

Tony held her against his chest. His cologne was intoxicating. It was arousing feelings in her that were inappropriate in public. She sighed trying to maintain her composure.

"Yes, I am," responded Ziva, falling into Tony's embrace.

"Well, the excitement does not have to end," Tony muttered into the shell of Ziva's ear. "I've got plans for us once the reception is over."

To emphasize his point, Tony allowed his hands to roam lightly. Ziva moaned. To anyone else, it would look like they were dancing. But they were not. It was a game. A game of arousal, and Ziva felt herself losing. But then again, could it really be considered losing? Ziva was not sure. What she was certain of was that she was not going to last much longer without touching her husband. She was desperate for the reception to end so that they could be alone.

Ziva and Tony finally got there wish. The reception ended when the limo arrived. The limo was pearly-white. On the back, there was a sign that read Just Married in big, bold letters. The chauffer opened the car door for Ziva and Tony. The newlyweds said their goodbyes to their guests. Tony helped Ziva into the limo and followed her. Once the doors closed behind them, Ziva and Tony started making out. When they arrived at the hotel room, that was when the real fun began.

* * *

**Yay! Ziva and Tony are married! The honeymoon chapter will be next. I am going to do a one-shot of their wedding night that will be M rated. In case anyone wants to read it. The honeymoon chapter will be T rated. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. I look forward to reading your reviews. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Notes: Honeymoon time! I will be revealing where they are going for their honeymoon. I will keep certain scenes T rated. Still haven't decided yet whether or not I want to do a M rated one-shot off of this chapter. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.**

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**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. TotalCowGirl: Thank you! Prince-bishop: Thank you very much. It certainly is a shame that the writers couldn't give us Tiva before one of them left the show. Could have had years of it. Now we get nothing. Not a very happy girl. Guest: I'm glad that you loved it. Countrynciscatlover: Thank you. I'm going to reveal that in this chapter. I might just do that. They'd probably be just one shots though. That sounds like a pretty cool dream! Go for it! Krikanalo: Thank you. Sometimes, those are the best lines. ;) Nando2k50: Yeah, I laughed pretty hard when I wrote that. Agreed. Palmer is wonderful and totally underestimated. Yeah, just a little bit. But you know Abby. ;) Right? Now, if only they'd get together for real. MrsZivaDiNozzo: Thank you. Me too. Could not picture her in anything else. Seems wrong somehow. Gingerstorm101: Holy Moly. Sounds like your brother needs to chill on the internet usage. I hope that this chapter doesn't come too late. Celestrial Moon: Welcome and thank you. Yes, I hope so too. Too many females have died on the show. Yeah, me too. Didn't want to rush their relationship. I think Tony is a little naturally suspicious of people. Definitely. Yes, they are. Thank you, and I don't think that Tony would mind that at all. Thank you. Lol. Wow, is that why Cote is leaving? If so, I don't blame her. What a shame. Thank you. The sky diving was fun to write. Will do. Next chapter is coming up.**

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**Whew! Well, that was a long one, but I think that I got everything. And now, on to the next chapter.**

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**Chapter Thirty: Honeymooners and Amore**

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Ziva woke up before Tony the next morning. Pushing back the covers, Ziva yawned and stretched. She smiled as she looked at her sleeping husband. Ziva loved saying that word. Husband. She liked the way that it just rolled off of her tongue. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She also loved how she could wake up her husband right now, and have a repeat of last night if she so desired. Ziva grinned like a kid in a candy store as she reminisced about last night's events. It was the best sex that she had ever had. She was not even sure what had made it so. Was it the toys? Was it the foreplay? Ziva did not know. But she definitely would not say no to a repeat.

Ziva began stroking the top of Tony's head lightly. She liked the way that her fingers brushed through his brown hair. The way that the sun was hitting it right now, Ziva could see the undertones of red in his hair. Tony fidgeted a little as Ziva played with his hair. Suddenly, Tony rolled over and opened his eyes. Head not leaving the pillow, Tony gazed up at his wife and grinned.

"Good morning, Missus DiNozzo," he said, placing a hand tenderly on her cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby," responded Ziva, removing her hand from his hair and placing it on his face.

"Good," replied Tony, smiling. "Because you'll need your energy where we are going."

"You mean, we are not staying in this hotel?" Ziva asked, looking a little disappointed.

Tony chuckled. Ziva could feel the bed vibrate as Tony laughed.

"As tempting as that sounds, the hotel was a one night thing," explained Tony. "I have a better place in mind for our honeymoon."

"Oh, really? Where is that?" inquired Ziva, curious.

"Top shelf of that drawer," said Tony, pointing. "You'll see the plane tickets."

Ziva got out of bed and rushed over to the drawer. She opened the top shelf and took out the tickets. She gasped when she read the destination. She gazed in wonder at Tony.

"Venice?" she whispered, unbelieving. "We are going to Venice?"

"Yes," declared Tony, smiling at his shocked bride. "Nothing says Amore like Venice. Well, Venice is only one stop. We're going to Rome as well."

Tony was suddenly engulfed in a very tight hug. He patted his wife on the back, unable to do anything else. He could not breathe.

"Have you been taking lessons from Abby?" he asked, semi-joking.

Ziva stopped hugging him to glare at her husband for a second. However, she was too happy and excited about their trip to Italy to be mad at Tony. Ziva hopped out of bed.

"I am going to go take a shower," stated Ziva. Then, she added rather devilishly. "Want to join me?"

Tony sat up instantly. His grin was a mile wide. He made it into the bathroom before Ziva had taken two steps. Ziva shook her head and chuckled. Typical Tony, but she still loved him.

* * *

The flight from Washington, D.C. to Venice, Italy seemed to take forever. The in-flight movie was too ridiculously cheesy for either Ziva or Tony to pay much attention. Fortunately for Ziva, she had brought a crossword puzzle book with her to pass the time. Tony played a racing game on his cell phone. When Tony's phone battery died, he sat there in silence for a while. Then when he got bored, Tony kept trying to pester his wife into playing a game with him. Finally after annoying her too much, Ziva agreed. They played I spy for the rest of the flight.

The plane landed smoothly into the Venice airport. Tony and Ziva made their way off of the plane hand-in-hand. They grabbed their luggage at check-out and hailed a cab. The cab was actually a canal boat. Venice really did not have drivable streets, so cabs did not exist here. The ferryman rowed onward towards their hotel. Tony and Ziva took in the sights around them. Lots of little mom and pop shops dotted the landscape. All around them, people were in boats. Some of the boats were for business. Others were for pleasure. They even saw a few of the gondola boats. The rich tenor of the man singing on the gondola was quite magnificent. Tony was struck with an idea. He got the attention of their cabbie.

"Do you speak English?" Tony questioned the man.

The man ignored him. Tony took that as a sign that the man did not speak English. This did not deter him. Tony spoke to the man in Italian. The man actually responded to Tony enthusiastically. They carried on a full conversation in Italian as they reached their intended destination. Once it was reached, Tony shook the man's hand, paid him, and helped Ziva off of the boat.

"I never knew that you spoke Italian, Tony," said Ziva, looking impressed.

"I am a man of many mysteries, Ziva DiNozzo," said Tony, grinning at his bride. "Now, let's drop these off so that I can get to showing you Venice properly."

"Sounds like a great idea!" said Ziva, excited.

After dropping off their luggage in their room, Ziva and Tony hit the town. Tony had asked the canal boat driver where the best places in town were. When he had explained to the canal boat driver that he was on his honeymoon with his wife, the boat driver had happily suggested a few places for them to go. Tony and Ziva went to Mario's, a family owned authentic Italian restaurant. They could tell that this was no tourist trap. Many locals visited this place, and the honeymooners could see why. The food was superb. There was nothing else like it. Everything was top notch.

* * *

After stuffing themselves, Tony and Ziva took a gondola ride around town. Venice was even more beautiful at night. The way that the street lights hit the water was fantastic. It looked like a pale specters floating over the dark water. The young gondola driver's singing was like none other as well. His heartfelt songs about love were mind-blowing. Ziva sighed and melted into Tony's arms as they were carted around Venice in the gondola.

Once the gondola ride was over, Ziva and Tony headed back to their hotel. Both were feeling a bit of jet lag, but they were not ready for the night to end. They ordered a bottle of sweet wine and gelato from room service. Turning on the TV, Ziva and Tony drank wine and ate gelato while watching the movie. When they were getting rather tipsy, that was when neither could keep their hands off of each other. It was Ziva who made the first move. She pulled Tony close to her and kissed him passionately on the lips. Tony reciprocated and added his tongue to the mix. Ziva added hers and allowed her hands to make quick work of his shirt. Tony nearly tore Ziva's shirt in half trying to get her clothes off. It was not long before they were naked and all over each other. The movie was forgotten as they enjoyed each other. It was simply bliss.

* * *

**So, what did you think of that? Venice and Rome seem to be good honeymoon spots. And I would love to try real Italian gelato. The gelato that we get here is good, but I bet real gelato from Italy is soo much better.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Notes: Going to finish up their honeymoon in this chapter. Don't know for certain how many more chapters will come. It really just depends.**

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**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. TotalCowGirl: Thanks! Countrynciscatlover: Yeah, Venice is very famous for having gondolas and boats for transportation/recreation. Hmm, then perhaps my theory could be correct? Maybe she and Tony will get together? Krikanalo: Thanks! Yeah, maybe just a bit. CelestrialMoon: You're too kind! Saissa: I like Gibbs, but I do believe that he can be very hypocritical at times. Like you said, he expects no secrets yet keeps many of his own. Yeah, his favoritism of Abby is a little annoying. I think that Tony was pulling McGee's leg a little bit. I don't think that he really expected McGee to pay the interest. He was just upset that McGee bet on him and Ziva getting together. I'm glad that I am able to get you involved with the characters. I must be doing something right then. =) Yeah, Tony is a bit of a bully. I kinda feel sorry for McGee when Tony pranks him. But my muse wants what it wants. Probably because Abby is so sensitive. The team isn't sure how she would take it, but I do agree with you. I personally like Abby. As a matter of fact, I dressed up as her for Halloween last year. A lot of people tell me that I look just like her. When I am dressed in Goth clothes, that is. Yeah, I had a little squee moment when Tony finally fessed up to his feelings while writing this chapter. Definitely, and he is going to do that. Yes, it was. Two faced is the name of the episode where we meet Ray. A Desperate Man is the episode where Ray proposes to Ziva. Tony is the man, in this instance! ;) Tony outside in boxers would be pretty hilarious. Hmm. I don't know. I would definitely go sky diving. It sounds like fun to be honest.**

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**Alrighty, I am about to begin the next chapter. Hold onto your hats!**

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**Chapter Thirty-One: When in Rome**

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Rome was just as gorgeous as Venice. So much natural beauty and history surrounded them. Ziva and Tony soaked everything up. Clutching the digital camera, Ziva snapped pictures of everything: The Coliseum, the Vatican gardens, Saint Peter's Basillica, and the Sistine chapel. They even made sure to get some snapshots of themselves at these places as well. Being a clown like usual, Tony stood beside the leaning tower of Pisa, trying to hold it up. Ziva shook her head and tried to get him to stop, but Tony would not. He told her that he wanted a picture. After bickering back and forth, Ziva finally gave in. She snapped the photo and they went on their way.

Around noon, Ziva's stomach began to rumble. They had eaten breakfast at nine thirty, but it seemed so far away. Judging by the rumbling noise of Tony's stomach, Ziva could tell that he was hungry too. Tony held onto Ziva's hand.

"Let's go find some place to eat," Tony suggested.

Ziva nodded in agreement. They were in the middle of downtown Rome. Numerous food carts were dotting the area. Some had fruits, others had vegetables, and some had sizzling meat. Tony and Ziva sniffed the air. The intoxicating aroma of cooking meat was making them even more hungry.

"What looks good?" asked Tony, eyeing the cooking chicken.

"Everything," responded Ziva, licking her lips.

"My thoughts exactly," said Tony.

They walked over to the man who was cooking the chicken. He was using a Mongolian style grill. The chicken sizzled and crackled as it cooked. The smell of basil and oregano was pronounced in the scent. Tony and Ziva were practically drooling.

"What will it be?" the man asked, in English with a heavy accent.

Ziva and Tony tore their eyes away from the chicken. The man was about five foot three. He was a rotund man with a mop of dark, curly hair. The man was clean shaven and his caramel eyes twinkled kindly. Both Tony and Ziva were shocked that the man knew how to speak English. Everyone else that they had come across spoke only Italian.

"You speak English?" Tony said, looking incredulous.

The dark haired man chuckled.

"Of course I do," replied the man. "I spent time in America for a few months in my youth. Came back here to see to my family. My grandmother…she was very ill. Died a few weeks after I got back."

"I am terribly sorry for your loss," Ziva said, feeling sympathy for the man.

"No matter, the good Lord is taking care of her now," the curly-haired man said, waving it off. Then, he rubbed his hands together vigorously. "My name is Ciro. What can I do for you? Today's special is the pasta bowl. You'll really like it. Lots of tourists do."

"Two please, Ciro," Ziva responded.

Ciro's eyes glowed with delight as he saw the wedding ring on Ziva's finger. He grinned at Ziva and then at Tony.

"Honeymooners, I should have known," Ciro said, grinning at the pair and shaking his index finger at them. "I know a pair of newlyweds when I see them. My wife and I have been married for twenty years. Could not be happier. Marriage…it is a compromise. Remember that. Give and take. You'll be fine."

Tony and Ziva smiled. Ciro bustled about to prepare two pasta bowls for the newlyweds. Tony and Ziva watched as he added mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese and a creamy alfredo looking sauce to the chicken and pasta noodles. Once it was topped with a sprig of basil each, Ciro handed the bowls over to the newlyweds. Tony reached into his pocket to extract his wallet, but Ciro told him that the meal was free.

"Consider it a wedding gift," Ciro stated.

Tony and Ziva stammered their thanks. Ciro shouted after them wishes of good luck with their marriage. Tony and Ziva found a bench and sat down. There they consumed their meal. Not a word was said until the meal was finished. Once finished, Tony and Ziva did a bit more sight-seeing. Around eight o' clock, they headed back to their hotel. They had a plane to catch in the morning, and they did not want to miss it.

* * *

Ziva was the first one up the next morning. She yawned, stretched, and looked down at her alarm clock. It was six in the morning. Ziva pushed back the covers and walked over to the curtain. Pulling back the curtain, Ziva gazed outside. The sun was just beginning to come up over the horizon. The buildings were bathed in a pale orange light. The moon was ducking under the horizon, but it was still visible. The sky itself was doused in a mixture of blue, purple, and pink. All of the evening stars were gone.

Hearing movement, Ziva turned. She came face to face with Tony. Tony smiled and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. He placed a kiss upon her forehead first. Then, he kissed her on the lips.

"Good morning," Tony said, smiling at his wife.

"Good morning to you too," answered Ziva, reciprocating the kiss. She looked out of the window and sighed. Then, her gaze returned to Tony's. "Do we really have to go back? It is so wonderful here. I never want to leave."

"I feel the same way," admitted Tony. "But we cannot live here. We have jobs and lives in D.C. We have to get back to reality. Besides, the team would not be the same without us."

"I get it," said Ziva, cursing Tony's rationalism. "We cannot stay in paradise forever. It was just wishful thinking. It has been a while since I have had a really good time, and I was hesitant to allow it to end, I guess."

"I know," answered Tony, hugging her. "I am too."

Tony and Ziva spent the next half hour packing. After taking a shower, having another quickie, taking another shower, and getting dressed, it was seven thirty. Their flight was leaving at eight forty-five for D.C. Whether they were on it or not. Tony and Ziva grabbed their luggage and checked out of the hotel. They took a cab to the airport. Once through customs, the newlyweds boarded the airplane. They spent most of the flight looking at the photos they had taken on their digital cameras. When they were not looking at photos, Tony and Ziva could not keep their hands off of each other. It got to the point where the flight attendant threatened to stop the plane and make them get off if they did not stop. That was when the newlyweds decided to do something else to occupy their time.

The plane landed in D.C. around twelve thirty. It was another half an hour before Ziva and Tony made it out of the airport. Tony and Ziva were home fifteen minutes after. Once the door closed behind them, the newlyweds finished what they had started on the plane.

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**Looks like they had some fun. Tell me what you think of the newest chapter!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's Notes: My muse is back. Time for another chapter. Things are about to get really interesting. Just you wait and see. =)**

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**Special thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, or reviewed this chapter. Countrynciscatlover: Definitely. Yeah, I think that the producers and writers owe us that much. Eight years and nothing to happen? I don't think that it will end that way. Krikanalo: Thank you. TotalCowGirl: Thanks. =)**

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**Chapter Thirty-Two: In Deep**

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The sunlight shone brightly into the bedroom of Mister and Missus DiNozzo the next morning. Mister DiNozzo awoke to find the bed empty. Thinking that his wife went out for a run, Tony got out of bed. He made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. After his shower, Tony dressed and brushed his teeth. Once fully clothed, Tony heads for the kitchen to start breakfast. He wanted to surprise Ziva with breakfast when she gets back from her run.

Meanwhile, Ziva is jogging at her usual pace. Currently, she is on the corner of S and Union Street. The stoplight is green and Ziva is waiting to cross the busy street. Ziva seizes her chance as the the light turns red, and runs across the street. That is when she notices the white van behind her.

Pretending not to notice the van, Ziva carries on her way. The driver of the white van speeds up just a little bit. Maintaining her pace, Ziva begins to worry. She wonders who they are and why they are following her. She knows that she has made several enemies over the years. It could be anyone that is following her right now.

Still jogging, Ziva takes out her cellphone. She pushes the speed dial number one. The phone automatically dials Tony's number. After a couple of rings, Tony picks up the phone.

"I am making waffles for when you come back, sweet cheeks," Tony said through the phone.

Ziva could hear the waffle iron sizzling in the background. Her stomach growled.

"Tony, we have a problem," Ziva said, panting. "I am being followed as we speak."

It was silent on the other end for a moment.

"Are you sure," asked Tony tentatively.

"Yes, I am positive," Ziva stated. Her jogging was getting slower. The white van was catching up to her.

"Keep the phone on you," demanded Tony. "I want to hear everything when they catch you. Shout anything that might helps us to identify your captors. I am going to call Gibbs. We will get you back, my love. I promise."

"Okay," said Ziva, rather bravely. "I love you Anthony DiNozzo."

"And I love you, Ziva DiNozzo," responded Tony, tears in his eyes.

Quickly, Tony grabbed an old tape recorder. He pushed record on it just as Ziva was being captured. Tony listened as Ziva shouted the men's descriptions. He gathered that there were three altogether. One was black, one was a ginger, and the other man was Middle-Eastern. The Middle-Eastern man was clean shaven except for a little stubble. The black man had a mutton-chop style beard. The ginger had shoulder length hair and a ton of freckles. According to Ziva, all of the men had the same tattoos. The tattoos were all of stars, getting bigger in descending order, on their arms.

That was all that Tony heard. The phone died on Ziva's end after that. Once it did, Tony called Gibbs. His hands were shaking. He grew impatient as the phone continued to ring. Where was their fearless leader when he needed him the most?

* * *

The phone was about to go to voicemail when Gibbs finally picked up. Tony's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel himself breaking out in a nervous sweat. However, his anger got the best of him.

"What took you so long to answer your phone?" questioned an angry DiNozzo.

"What's this about, DiNozzo?" asked Gibbs, annoyed at being spoken to this way by his Senior field agent. "Did you and Ziva have a fight?"

"No, but this is about Ziva," responded Tony, trying to keep his cool. "Boss, she has been kidnapped."

The few moments of silence on the other end of the phone were deafening. At first, Tony believed that Gibbs had hung up. Then, Gibbs spoke again, and confirmed Tony's suspicion to not be true.

"When was she taken?" asked Gibbs, obvious panic in his voice.

"Ten minutes ago," replied Tony. "We just got back from Italy last night. We crashed as soon as we got home. Ziva went for a morning run, as usual. I was making breakfast for her when I received a phone call. I told her to keep her phone on so that I could hear what was going on. I have it all recorded."

"Bring it in," ordered Gibbs. "Make sure that you turn off your appliances first. Don't want your wife to come home to a burnt down house, now do we?"

"No, definitely not," Tony agreed.

He shuddered at the idea. Not only would Ziva be in a bad mood from being kidnapped, she would be furious if the house burned to the ground. The furthest thing from Tony's mind right now was appliances, but he followed Gibbs' orders. Once he got off of the phone, Tony made sure that everything was turned off. Satisfied, Tony makes his way out of the door to NCIS headquarters.

Tony stormed into the bullpen where team Gibbs was waiting for him. Abby was sobbing uncontrollably into Tim's shoulder. Tim gently rubbed Abby's back. Everyone else was uncomfortably silent. They all looked angry. Abby tore herself away from Tim's shoulder to look at Tony. She had wiped her tears. Determination spread across her face.

"We will find her, Tony," Abby declared. "I promise."

"Thank you, Abby," Tony said, voice a little shaky. He glanced down at his wedding ring. He hoped that Abby was right. He hoped that they would be able to bring Ziva home safely.

"You said that you had a recording of the incident," Gibbs said to Tony.

Tony nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his tape recorder. He handed it over to Gibbs, who handed it to Abby.

"You know what to do," he whispered to her.

* * *

Abby nodded. Eyes still a blotchy red, Abby turned to McGee.

"We will be able to find her faster if you help me, McGee," said Abby, almost pleading with him.

"Of course," said McGee, softly.

The two scurried off to Abby's lab with the tape recorder. Tony made to follow them, but Gibbs prevented him from doing so. Tony glared at Gibbs.

"I can help them," Tony said, angry. "Let me go."

"No, the kidnappers could be after you as well," replied Gibbs. "That is why you are going to be put into protective custody."

"I'll do it!" chimed in Palmer.

Everyone just looked at Palmer. However, Jimmy did not back down.

"Come on, Tony. Like you want to be in custody of anyone else?" Jimmy responded. "I can keep you updated. If they assign you to someone else, they'll want to keep you out of the loop."

"Mister Palmer, you are not a federal agent," said Ducky, joining the conversation. "How do you expect to keep Anthony safe?"

"All the more reason for Jimmy to be the one, Duck," responded Gibbs, surprising everyone.

"Jethro…" Ducky began but Gibbs interrupted him.

"If our theory is correct and Tony is the next target, then they will be expecting a federal agent to be watching him," said Gibbs. "They will never think that Tony is in the custody of our M.E. assistant."

"I do not want to be sitting around," growled Tony. "I want to help search for my wife!"

"No," said Gibbs, firmly. "You will not be on this case. Rule…"

"Forget the rules, I've already broken several," answered Tony, angry. "You had a rule about co-workers not being together. That was broken when Ziva and I started dating. Tim and Abby are dating as well. So there goes that rule. I want to help find my wife."

Gibbs paused for a moment. He was thinking it over.

"Okay," Gibbs said, simply.

"Boss, you cannot possibly….what did you say?"

"Is your hearing gone, DiNozzo? I said okay."

Tony broke out into a smile for the first time today. Gibbs remained stony-faced.

"The first time that your judgment gets compromised, I am taking you off of the case," Gibbs warned. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," answered DiNozzo.

"Good, now let's get to work finding our girl."

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**Who kidnapped Ziva? Will she be found in time? To find out, you must read on. In the meantime, review! =)**


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's Notes: Uh oh, Ziva's in trouble. Time for team Gibbs to come to the rescue. Will they make it in time? Find out soon.**

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**Special Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed. TotalCowGirl: Thanks. Countrynciscatlover: Probably. Maybe she just has too much in her life right now and needs a break? Can't say that I blame her. I know the feeling. could be right on that one. Only a month yet to wait and see. Krikanalo: Thank you so much! CelestrialMoon: You're very welcome. I just wish that this actually did happen on NCIS. Definitely never a dull moment. ;) You'll find out soon enough. I am glad that you guys are enjoying this story. I love writing it. Gingerstorm101: Yeah, me too. I just have a weird feeling. I guess we will see in a month.**

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**And now, on with the show!**

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**Chapter Thirty-Three: Telephone Call**

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They believed that this would be an easy case. They already knew what the suspects looked and sounded like. It was all recorded on Tony's tape recorder. The only thing left to do was to bring them in.

Unfortunately, it was not as easy as it sounded. After spending an hour listening to the tape for further clues, nobody could come up with anything else. Abby had processed the tape to listen to background noises, but that did not help. The only thing that could be heard in the background was the engine's roar, and the slamming of a van door.

They even tried to pull security videos from the restaurants on that street. They were even less successful. None of the videos showed Ziva being pulled into a van. In fact, the videos did not show a van at all. Cars and trucks were the only vehicles that were featured in all of the videos.

Tony was beginning to get very angry. When he wasn't tossing back mugs of coffee, he was shouting at McGee and Abby. He even started bickering with Gibbs. Gibbs was in no mood to deal with Tony's belligerent nature. He cared for Ziva just as much as Tony did. The team was working as hard as they could to find her. Tony's attitude did not help matters.

"DiNozzo, one more word out of you and not only will you be off of the case, you will be off of my team," Gibbs snarled, having had enough of Tony.

Tony looked as though he was going to argue, but kept his mouth shut. He sighed and made a growling noise. Tony stormed back to his desk. Glaring at Gibbs, Tony picked up the phone and tried making some calls. Gibbs took a long draft from the coffee cup in his hand. His eyes were still on Tony. Though he understood how Tony was feeling, Gibbs did not know how much longer that he could put up with Tony's behavior. It was very unlike him to be this annoying. Sure, he liked to play practical jokes, and that was annoying, but this was far beyond that. This was very irritating.

The telephone on Agent Gibbs' desk began to ring. Hoping that it was a lead to their case, Gibbs answered it.

"Hello, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs," said the deep voice on the phone. It sounded like the voice was being altered. Probably by a machine. "I have something of yours. I'm willing to give it back for the right price."

Gibbs put the call on speaker phone. He motioned to McGee to start tracing the call. McGee nodded and got to work. Tony moved closer to Gibbs' desk to listen in.

* * *

"We don't negotiate with terrorists," replied Gibbs, firmly. "You might as well give her up."

The voice on the other end laughed.

"We have no intention of giving her up," said the deep voice. "Not until we get what we want."

"What do you want?" demanded Gibbs.

"Three million dollars," replied the man. "I want it by sundown tonight or she dies."

"That's a hefty price," said Gibbs, trying to keep Tony from saying anything.

"That's the price that you will have to pay in order to get your agent back," answered the deep voice. "You've lost so many female agents, do you really want to add her to the list?"

"Where do we meet you for the drop off?" asked DiNozzo, unable to stay silent for much longer.

"Who is that?" demanded the voice, angrily. "How many people do you have listening to our conversation?"

"Just me and Agent DiNozzo here," stated Gibbs, flashing a glare at Tony. "No one else."

"There better not be. For her sake," threatened the voice.

"Tell me where we need to meet you, then," asked Gibbs.

"Meet in the parking lot of the Golden Hydra," said the voice. "Come alone."

"How do I know that this isn't an ambush?" questioned Gibbs.

"Fine. Bring one more person with you," replied the voice. "But no one else. Understood?"

"Yes," answered Gibbs.

"Good," responded the voice. "See you at sundown, Agent Gibbs."

The phone died. Gibbs glanced over at McGee. McGee grinned triumphantly at Gibbs.

"I got it," McGee stated happily. "They are at Wilson and Foxboro. They are moving towards the west."

"Good job, McGee," Tony said, giving McGee his first smile of the day.

"It'll be time for saying good job when we get Ziva back," answered Gibbs, grouchily. Then, he turned to DiNozzo. "Never ever interrupt me again when I am on a call like that. You could have compromised everything."

"Sorry boss," answered DiNozzo, looking sheepish.

Gibbs did not reply. Instead, he gazed over at McGee.

"Do you still have friends at the Treasury?"

"Yes, boss," answered McGee, slightly puzzled.

"Good, call them for a favor," commanded Gibbs.

McGee's bewilderment vanished. He had caught on to what Gibbs was thinking. With an affirmative nod, McGee was on the phone. He was making a phone call to his friend who worked at the Treasury. Tony looked at Gibbs. He seemed very determined.

"I am going with you," declared Tony. "I will be your backup."

"I know, DiNozzo," answered Gibbs, placing a hand upon Tony's shoulder. "I would not ask anyone else."

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**Sorry it is so short, but what do you think? Things are really getting interesting, huh?**


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's Notes: Cliffhangers! Gotta love them. Lol. Well, the wait is over. The new chapter should be up soon.**

**But first, a thank you is in order. So, thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. Krikanalo: Thank you. I did that on purpose. Though maybe I should have done it another way. I dunno if it was the best way. Countrynciscatlover: Yeah, I agree. Guest appearences would be best. There could still be Tiva going on. I'm sure that the writers could still include it somehow. I'm personally getting sick of them killing off all the female agents. It is just a bit much to be honest. Celestrial Moon: Will do. The next chapter will be here shortly. Prince-Bishop: Thanks! Gingerstorm101: I'll have to check that out when I get the chance. Never been on live journal before.**

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**Warning: Mild cursing. Read at your own risk.**

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**Chapter Thirty-Four: Deliverance**

* * *

An hour had passed since McGee had called his Treasury friend. Thirty more minutes passed before McGee received a phone call. Tony could barely hear the words that McGee was saying. The only thing that Tony understood was the end where they said their goodbyes. McGee placed the phone in his pocket. He looked over at Gibbs.

"I am going on a coffee run," he said, with a significant look at Gibbs.

"Be back soon," answered Gibbs, giving McGee a knowing look.

Without another word, McGee made his way to the elevator. Tony and Gibbs tried to pretend like nothing had happened. They went about their business doing paper work. Twenty minutes later, McGee came back. He had a coffee in his right hand. In his left, McGee held a navy blue duffel bag. McGee took a sip from his coffee mug before placing it on the desk. He sat the duffel bag beside his desk.

"Took longer than I expected," said McGee, giving Gibbs and Tony a look. "The barista must have been new. Did not know how to make a proper latte."

"Still don't know why you drink those things, McLatte," stated DiNozzo, shaking his head but giving McGee a look. "Not even real coffee."

"They do have quite a kick," retorted McGee. "A lot more than normal coffee. You sure that you don't want one?"

"No, thanks, McTim," answered Tony. "I'll stick to real coffee."

"If you call coffee with hazelnut syrup and cream real coffee, DiNozzo," replied Gibbs, sipping his own coffee.

McGee did not answer. Everyone in the office had gone back to their jobs. No one was paying the trio the least bit of attention. Numerous pairs of eyes were focused on their computer screens. That was when the trio met at McGee's desk. They sat in a circle around McGee.

"Everything is set up," whispered McGee. "The money cannot be retraced to my friend, Oscar. It is fake, but the kidnappers will not know that. It looks exactly like real money. There's only one difference but you cannot see it in normal light. That is all that I am authorized to say. Oscar could get into big trouble if it ever comes back to him."

"Don't worry, McWorrywart," said DiNozzo in a low tone. "Your McSneaky friend is safe."

"I really hope that you are right, Tony," whispered McGee. "Because our butts are on the line as well."

"We'll be okay. We are going to get Ziva back. I am determined to have my wife back," answered Tony. He looked over at Gibbs. "What is your plan, exactly?"

"You will soon see," said Gibbs.

"No preview?" questioned Tony, a little annoyed. "Boss, we can't just wing it. This is Ziva we are talking about!"

"I know, keep your voice down," hissed Gibbs, trying to placate Tony. "You'll have to follow my lead."

Tony looked a bit wary. McGee did not seem too calm himself. However, they knew that trusting Gibbs made all the difference. They would have to trust him again in order for this operation to work.

"Okay," said both McGee and Tony.

Gibbs clapped both men on the shoulder. He gave them both a gentle squeeze before letting go. McGee and Tony smiled grimly. The squeeze did not help them feel any better. Both had mixed feelings about the whole operation.

"We will get her back," Gibbs declared, looking both men straight in the eyes. "And put the bastards responsible in jail."

The fierce look in Gibbs' eyes seemed to reassure both special agents. An unsettling feeling still lingered in Tony's stomach, but it was less so. He was not going to go as far as saying that everything would be okay. Tony knew all too well how things could take a turn for the worse very easily.

* * *

Sundown came quicker than expected. Tony and Gibbs were busy gearing up. McGee was gearing up as well. He was going to patrol the perimeter and make sure that the kidnappers did not try to make a run for it. Tony's hands were shaking violently. In all the years as a field agent, Tony could not recall being this nervous. Not even on his first day on the job had he been so anxious. All he wanted was for this whole mess to be over. He wanted to hold Ziva in his arms. Tony wanted to tell her that she was safe from harm.

"Don't forget the duffel bag," Gibbs reminded DiNozzo.

"On it, boss," said Tony, grabbing the duffel bag.

They made their way silently to the elevator. Not a word was said all the way to the Golden Hydra. When they were less than a block away, Gibbs let McGee out of the car. Then, he drove the rest of the way to the Golden Hydra.

Tony spotted a white van in the parking lot. There were a few other cars in the parking lot as well. Probably belonged to the workers at the Golden Hydra. Tony and Gibbs parked beside the van. Gibbs shut off the engine. The two men got out of the car and waited. A tall black man with mutton chops greeted them.

"Didn't think that you would show up," the man said.

"Of course we would," answered Gibbs, while Tony glared at the man.

"You got our money?" asked the black man.

"You got our girl?" retorted Tony, eyeing the man and trying to size him up.

"That remains to be seen," replied the black man. He raised a gun. "Hand over the money."

"How do we know that you didn't kill her?" questioned Tony, not backing down.

The black man pointed the gun at Tony. He was about to shoot when another man intervened. This man was Middle-Eastern. He was holding onto someone who had a bag over their head. Muffled cries could be heard from the bag.

"She's right here," said the Middle-Eastern man. "You can have her once we get our money."

"Why did you kidnap her if you just wanted money?" questioned Gibbs.

"Not only is she a federal agent, but she is also the daughter of a Mossad director," answered the man, smiling wickedly.

"Eli David is dead," replied Gibbs. "Orli is the new director of Mossad."

"I did not know," responded the man, smile fading. "But from what I hear, Orli has a special interest with this one here. As well as your young field agent, Gibbs." The Middle-eastern man nodded towards Tony. "Either one would pay a hefty price to get her back, would you not?"

"We do not negotiate with terrorists," growled Tony, pointing his gun at the Middle-Eastern guy. The man laughed.

"Oh, I am not a terrorist," said the man.

"That's what they all say," Gibbs replied. "It kind of gets old hearing that excuse so much."

"But I am really not a terrorist," explained the Middle-Eastern man. "Your government are the terrorists. Killing innocent people just because some of my people believe that Westerners should be eradicated. I saw so many innocent people lose their lives in this so called war, and I intend on ending it."

"By kidnapping a federal agent?" inquired Gibbs, incredulously. "Not a smart plan."

"This is just the beginning," responded the man. "The guardians of light will rise. Once they do, all of the terrorism in the world will be gone. This is the first step towards that bright future."

"Yeah, and you're not going to kill us once we get Ziva back," stated Tony, rolling his eyes.

"I have no intention of killing you. If I can avoid it," exclaimed the Middle-Eastern man. "The guardians of the light do not kill innocent people."

"Enough of this bullshit!" shouted the black man. "Give us the money or the girl gets blown to smithereens!"

"Let's do a trade," suggested Gibbs, hands raised in front of him. "At the same time. We will hand over the money. You will hand us Ziva."

The black man and the Middle-Eastern man agreed. At the count of three, they would trade. They were already at two. When the countdown was completed, a squadron of FBI burst onto the scene. The black and Middle-Eastern men were surrounded. Tony was clutching Ziva to his chest. He was practically sobbing. The two terrorists were being stuffed into a black van. Fornell was holding onto the duffel bag of money. He approached Gibbs and his team.

"I really should not give you this back," he told them. "I should turn you all in for possessing it. But I won't."

"Well, thank you for that, Tobias," answered Gibbs, smirking.

Tobias smiled. He then turned to Tony and Ziva.

"Glad to see that you are safe, David. Keep her that way, DiNozzo," Fornell said.

After handing McGee the duffel bag, Fornell walked back over to his FBI agents. Gibbs smiled at Tony, Ziva, and McGee. This was how it was supposed to be. They were all back together. They were a team.

"Let's go," said Gibbs. "The FBI can take it from here."

The three special agents nodded their assent. McGee got into the front seat of the car. Tony and Ziva climbed into the back seat together. They were still holding hands. Gibbs grinned at the two newlyweds. It reminded him of Shannon. He would have done anything to keep her and Kelly safe. Unfortunately, he was unable to do that and lost them forever. But he was hopeful that the same fate would not be bestowed upon Tony and Ziva. Eyes back on the road, Gibbs drove back to NCIS headquarters. They had paperwork to do, but Abby, Ducky, and Palmer were eagerly awaiting their return.

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**There we have it. It was the guardians of the light. Quite a twist, huh? Let me know what you think. In the meanwhile, I will write the next chapter. **


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's Notes: Yay! Ziva's back safe! And I know that the Guardians of the light was a weird twist. They will be explained in this chapter, I promise. On another note, I cannot seem to get the song Clarity by Zedd out of my head. But it works out because if you listen to the song, it actually fuses really well with this story. I've had it in my head for the past two weeks now. So, it is responsible for a few of these posts. Including this one.**

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**As usual, thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited. TotalCowGirl: Thanks, me too. Krikanalo: Thank you! Countrynciscatlover: Yeah, I didn't like the idea of Gibbs' team going without some sort of backup. That's why the FBI got involved. Plus, I'm sure that they would have meddled into NCIS business anyway. They're good at that. =) Gingerstorm101: Yeah, I sent you a friend request on there. Eventually, I will post stories on there. Possibly even original stories. K444:Thank you, and I will! =) CelestrialMoon: That remains to be seen. =)**

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**I am on live journal now. My s/n is misspadfoot24. I would like to transfer these stories on there, as well as some original stories as well. Feel free to look me up if you get the opportunity.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Reunion**

* * *

Ziva was engulfed in an Abby hug the moment that she stepped off of the elevator. Ziva patted Abby on the back in response. She was too overwhelmed to do much more than that. Abby's hugs had a tendency to knock all of the oxygen right out of your lungs. So speaking was not an option.

Everyone took their turn hugging Ziva, and telling her that they were glad that she was safe. Apart from team Gibbs, Breena was there as well. Jimmy had told her what had happened. As Ziva's close friend, Breena wanted to be there when they brought Ziva back.

Once everyone had finished, the questions began. Everyone was curious about this Guardians of the Light business. No one really knew what they were up to. They were hoping that Ziva might be able to shed some light on it.

"They are not connected to any other terrorist organization," explained Ziva, slowly. "In fact, they do not consider themselves terrorists. More like, they are vigilantes. In their eyes, they are doing what is right."

"Sounds like a terrorist group to me," mumbled Gibbs. The others nodded in assent.

"They have gained a lot of support," stated Ziva, looking at the floor. "In Israel and Afghanistan, they are considered heroes."

"So, they just kidnap innocent people and demand ransoms," asked Abby, a little confused. "What a screwed up operation."

"It is," agreed Ziva. "But, obviously effective."

* * *

She was still staring at the ground. Ziva would not look at any of them. Especially Tony. She appeared to be avoiding his gaze in particular. However, Tony could not keep his eyes off of her. Something was bothering her. Tony was not sure what that something was, but he just knew.

"I am going to go home," declared Tony, walking over to Ziva. "Come with me?"

It was not a question, nor was it a command. He was simply hinting that if she wanted to get some peace, now would be the time to do so. Intuitive as always, Ziva got to her feet. After saying their goodbyes, Tony and Ziva went into the elevator. Fifteen minutes and a silent car ride later, they were home. Ziva instantly made her way to the bedroom. She closed the door behind her before Tony had taken off his coat. Tony followed her. Today's events were rather exciting, and not in a good way. He felt that she needed him to be there for her. Even if she did not want to talk.

"I'm here," Tony said.

Ziva, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, glanced up at him. Tears were pouring down her face. Tony sat down beside his wife. He wrapped his arms around Ziva and held her. He stroked the top of her head gently as she cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Ziva sobbed. "I just hate feeling vulnerable. I cannot stand feeling this way."

"It's alright," answered Tony, soothingly. "It's okay to be yourself with me. I am your husband. If you cannot be this way with me, who can you be this way with?"

"But I feel so weak." wailed Ziva.

"Everybody has their moments," responded Tony. He planted a kiss on top of her head. "Even the strongest person has their times of weakness."

Ziva raised her head. She smiled at Tony, who smiled back.

"I love you, Ziva DiNozzo," said Tony, hugging her close to him.

"And I love you too, Anthony DiNozzo," answered Ziva, squeezing him back.

* * *

The next morning, Tony woke up to find his bed empty. He could hear the sound of someone emptying the contents of their stomach. Frowning, Tony pushed the covers back. He walked to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Ziva, are you okay in there?" Tony asked, concerned about his wife.

"I am fine," Ziva answered weakly. "I am just not feeling well."

"Must be all of the stress," said Tony. "I'll make us some breakfast. Maybe having something to eat will help."

"Perhaps," was the reply.

Tony got to work in the kitchen. He made scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and toast. Ziva came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. She looked very pale. Tony pulled out a chair for her and Ziva sat down. He fixed a plate of food for Ziva. He placed it in front of her. Tony prepared himself a plate. When he sat down, Ziva was already halfway through her plate. Tony gaped at her. Ziva liked to eat her meals slowly. Why all of a sudden did she scarf down her food? It was rather strange.

"That was delicious, Tony," complimented Ziva.

Tony was about to reply when Ziva put a hand over her mouth. Her eyes grew wide. She dashed towards the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her. Tony could hear her retching. He shook his head. What was going on?

* * *

**Oh, I think that I know what is going on. And I am sure that you readers do too. Let me know what you think. =)**


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Notes: Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed or favorited. TotalCowGirl: Thank you! I will have this one up shortly. Countrynciscatlover: I knew you guys would figure it out. Just had to tease a bit. ;) Krikanalo: Thanks! CelestrialMoon: You will soon find out. ;) All you have to do is have an account of your own and send me a friend request. My s/n is misspadfoot24. Com2meZT: Wow, I am impressed. I cannot sit that long to read anything. Lol. And you will soon get your wish.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Confirmation**

* * *

The morning sickness continued. Ziva could barely keep her breakfast down. What she did not eat for breakfast, Ziva made up for with lunch and dinner. She was eating twice the amount of food that Tony was. On top of that, Ziva had really weird cravings. Fish sticks with ranch dressing, peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches, and rocky road ice cream just to name a few.

Tony found himself in the supermarket for the third time today. Ziva had requested pickles and hot sauce this time. As he was walking past the health section, Tony spotted the home pregnancy tests. He paused as he looked at the different brands. Why were there so many, he wondered. Were some brands more accurate than others in their detection? Tony was very confused.

He had never had to buy one before. Before Ziva, Tony had been very careful to prevent any pregnancies. Now that he was married, it seemed that Tony would have to get used to buying feminine items.

Unable to decide on one, Tony grabbed four random home pregnancy tests. He tossed them into his cart and carried on his way. Once Tony's shopping cart was filled with more groceries, he made his way to the check-out line. The guy in front of him was flirting heavily with the pretty cashier. Tony took the opportunity to unload his cart. When he was done unloading his cart, Tony looked up. The cashier and the guy were still talking. They seemed to be lost in their own little world. Tony cleared his throat to get their attention.

The cashier, a blonde in her late teens, looked scandalized at the interruption. The young man glared at Tony. Then, the two continued their conversation as if nothing had happened. Slightly frustrated, Tony got their attention again. Once again, both parties glowered at him.

"Can you finish your conversation after the lady gets off of work, Romeo?" questioned Tony, irritated.

"Take a chill pill," answered the young man. "I am just asking her a question."

"I just do not feel that this is the appropriate time," replied Tony, unable to keep the agitation out of his voice.

"Relax, she will get to you in a moment," replied the young man, nastily. The young man's eyes spotted the pregnancy tests. His eyes then flew back to Tony. "I am sure that your girlfriend is in no rush to be shackled to you for life. Expecting a kid from you, of course. Why so many anyway? Not smart enough to figure it out the first time?"

* * *

Tony was about to reply when the manager walked over. The manager was a bald, plump man in his mid-forties. His horn-rimmed glasses kept falling down the bridge of his nose. He pushed them back up with his index finger. The man was frowning at the cashier.

"Natalie, what did I tell you about talking to your boyfriend on the clock?" inquired the manager, frowning at the cashier.

"Parker was just asking a quick question, Mister Cagney," defended Natalie.

"Well, you are holding up the line," replied Mister Cagney. He turned his attention to Tony. "My apologies, sir. As a token of goodwill, I would like to offer you a twenty percent discount on your next visit. Natalie's behavior is unacceptable, and I assure you that it will not happen again."

"Thank you," answered Tony, accepting the coupon handed to him.

"Natalie, once you are finished checking him out, I would like to see you in my office," demanded Mister Cagney, glaring at Natalie.

Natalie's shoulder slumped a bit. Parker was glaring at Tony. Tony's facial expression was neutral. All he cared about right now was getting home to Ziva. Nothing else really mattered.

Parker tried to follow Tony out into the parking lot. He got all the way out to Tony's car before Tony turned around. A smile formed on Tony's face.

"Going to try and rough me up?" Tony asked, looking at the bold youth.

"You just cost Natalie her job," responded Parker, gritting his teeth. "Now you have to pay."

"Going to hit me?" challenged Tony. "Go ahead and try. I will have you arrested for assaulting a federal officer."

"Yeah, right," replied the youth. "You, a federal officer. I will believe that when pigs fly."

"Well, they must be soaring tonight because that is exactly what I am," said Tony. He flashed his NCIS badge long enough for Parker to get a good look at it. Parker's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. Tony smirked as he saw the young man grow pale.

"I don't want to start any trouble," said Parker, backing away. "Let's just forget this ever happened."

Tony did not receive the opportunity to respond. Parker had vanished. Shaking his head, Tony put his badge away. He got into his car and drove home.

* * *

"What took you so long?" questioned Ziva, hands on her hips. "I have been waiting on my pickles for almost an hour now."

"Sorry, sweet cheeks, I had a little mishap at the supermarket," explained Tony, putting the groceries away.

"What do you mean mishap?"

Ziva eyes had narrowed. Her brow was furrowed. She was staring Tony down. Tony gulped. She could be quite scary at times. This was one of those times.

"Nothing to worry about," answered Tony, shrugging it off. "It was taken care of. Here you go." He handed her the pickles, hot sauce, and the pregnancy tests.

"What are these for?" inquired Ziva, looking dumbstruck.

"I thought that that would be obvious," replied Tony. "With the cravings and all."

"I am not pregnant," said Ziva, agitated. "I have just been extra hungry lately."

"One, how do you know for sure? Two, since when do you get wacky cravings and consider that normal?"

"Tony…"

"Ziva, please take the tests," pleaded Tony. "If anything, it'll prove that I am wrong."

"Oh, alright," Ziva conceded.

Scooping up the tests, Ziva made her way to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, Ziva walked out of the bathroom. She looked shell-shocked. Her hands were shaking violently. She appeared as though she would throw up again.

"I am pregnant," announced Ziva.

* * *

**Just going to leave it there for now. Because I am great like that. ;) Let me know what you think.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's Notes: I am really sorry to keep you guys waiting. It has been one of those weeks. Not enough time in the day. Good news is, I have a new chapter for you lovely readers to sink your teeth into.**

* * *

**Special thanks to my reviewers, followers, and favorites. Gingerstorm101: I am so excited about the babies! I wish this was real. Lol. Totalcowgirl: Isn't it great? Countrynciscatlover: Yeah, I did make it a bit obvious. ;) But we knew it would happen eventually. And yeah, I saw that article. Apparently, the new female character will be revealed in January or February. Her last name is Bishop. CelestrialMoon: Could not agree more. Someoneslove: Yes! I agree! It doesn't always end that way. Why stop Ziva and Tony?**

* * *

**Okay, let's get to it!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: In Our Own Time**

* * *

"I can't believe that I am going to be a dad!" Tony shouted, scooping Ziva up into his arms.

Ziva chuckled as Tony spun her around. After a few seconds, Ziva's feet hit the ground. Tony squeezed Ziva against his chest. Ziva closed her eyes. A broad smile spread across her lips. Opening her eyes, Ziva looked up at her husband.

"We should tell them," she said.

There was no question of whom Ziva was speaking. Tony already knew. However, Tony was not ready to share the news just yet. And he wanted to let his wife know.

"Can we just keep it between us for now?" asked Tony.

Ziva wrenched herself from Tony's arms. She stared at him incredulously.

"Are you having second thoughts about having a kid?" questioned Ziva, trying to keep the hurt and anger out of her voice.

Tony sensed the anger and hurt in his wife's voice. His smile faded.

"No, I am not," Tony said, firmly.

Ziva let out a disbelieving sound.

"I'm not," Tony said, looking into his wife's eyes. "It's just that I want this to be between us for right now. I'm not ready for anyone else to know just yet."

"Are you sure?" asked Ziva, skeptically.

"I am positive," Tony confirmed.

Ziva stared hard at Tony for a good, solid minute. She was trying to determine if he was lying to her. Once she decided that he was not, Ziva spoke again.

"Okay," Ziva answered. "But we will have to tell them eventually. They are going to grow suspicious when I am sporting a large belly."

"They will know way beforehand," promised Tony. "I just need a month. That is all."

"A month, Tony?" commented Ziva, raising her eyebrows. "That seems a bit excessive."

"Just long enough to make sure that the baby is alright in there," responded Tony. He gently rubbed his hand in circles around Ziva's stomach.

"I am certain that the baby is just fine," said Ziva.

"How do you know that?" inquired Tony. He stopped rubbing her stomach, and looked up at her. "We haven't even been to the doctor yet."

"I just found out that I was pregnant," replied Ziva, seething. "I have not had the opportunity to go to a doctor yet."

"Well, we should schedule an appointment," stated Tony.

"I will," responded Ziva. "Tomorrow morning. It is way too late to do so right now."

Tony glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was half past midnight.

"First thing tomorrow morning then," agreed Tony. "Right now, you need your sleep."

"Yes, and so do you, my little hairy butt," replied Ziva, grinning as she used his nickname.

Tony smiled. Ziva walked to the bedroom. Tony followed her. He stripped down to his boxers as Ziva put on a night gown. Tony pulled back the covers and waited for Ziva to climb in. Once she was in, Tony crawled into bed. He tucked the covers around Ziva and himself. Planting a goodnight kiss on his wife's lips, Tony draped an arm over Ziva and fell asleep.

* * *

True to her word, Ziva called the doctor first thing in the morning. She set up an appointment for the next day. It was a Saturday and she did not have to work. Their previous case had been closed, and they were not expected to have another one.

It was turning out to be an easy Friday. All the MCRT was doing was checking up on cold cases. Which turned out to be monotonous work. So much so that Tony felt his mind wandering. He could not get the thoughts out of his head. He, Anthony DiNozzo Jr., was going to be a dad! It was hard to hide his smile. Tony was thinking of all of the things that he would do with his son.

Yes, son. Tony had no doubt in his mind that the child would be a boy. The DiNozzos did not have girls. Several decades had passed since the last Dinozzo female had been born. His great aunt Tilly was the last one, and she was over eighty years old.

Fantasies of playing catch, shooting hoops, and teaching his son about girls swam through Tony's head. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he did not see a hand waving in front of his face. It was not until he felt a slap to the back of his head that Tony snapped out of it. He blinked several times before allowing his eyes to roam around. Both McGee and Ziva were standing at his desk.

"Had to do it, Tony," McGee declared. "You looked like you were trapped in your own thoughts. I was fearing for your sanity. What little you may have left."

"Oh, haha, McFunnypants," replied Tony, sarcastically. He then looked over at Ziva. She was clutching a big gulp in her hand. "How many of those have you had today?"

"Four," commented Ziva, like it was no big deal.

"Are you sure that is a good idea?" inquired Tony, raising his eyebrows.

"Why would it not be?" asked Ziva, taking another sip of her drink.

She was toying with him. Tony could tell. He knew that she hated that he did not want to tell them just yet. So now, Ziva was tormenting him. Well, Tony thought, two can play this game.

"It's your body, I guess," responded Tony, emphasizing the your.

Tony was pleased by her reaction. Ziva walked away from his desk to sit at her own. McGee looked confused, but did not press the matter. He just shrugged, thinking it was another one of their bickering sessions. Nothing out of the ordinary there. McGee made his way back to his desk as well. They worked in silence until five. Once five o'clock hit, they left the NCIS headquarters to start their weekends.

* * *

**Tilly is my own made up character. She is not Canon. I don't even know if Tony has a great aunt. But for story's sake, we will say that he does.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Author's Notes: What will the rest of the team think about the newest addition? Find out soon! The newest chapter is going up!**

* * *

**Special thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited. Countrynciscatlover: Yeah, McGee can be kinda cheeky sometimes. I love it! I am not sure how I feel about Bishop. Just by reading her description, she seems too…perfect to me. But maybe I should reserve judgment until she's actually been on the show. Give her a chance, I guess. Celestrial Moon: Will do, hon. ;) Totalcowgirl: Thanks. I am sure everyone will be thrilled. =) Gingerstorm101: I considered putting that in there, but I changed my mind. Decided to have Ziva ignore that comment instead.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Cat is Out of the Bag**

* * *

Two weeks had passed. Ziva was growing restless. It took every fiber of her being to not shout out the news. Unable to vent her frustration, Ziva continued to annoy Tony. She purposefully did things to try and irritate him. Ziva even tried to drop hints to the rest of the team regarding what was going on. However, nobody picked up on them. Even Gibbs, who picked up on the most subtle things, did not seem to notice.

For once, Ziva wished that she had not spent all of those years teasing Tony. Now, it seemed that their bickering was considered normal. Especially since they were married. In hindsight, Ziva decided that the others would have noticed something was amiss beforehand. The time for that had passed. Ziva's behavior was too common now. There was not anything that she could do to change this fact. She would have to deal with it.

Ziva hated the thought of waiting another two weeks to tell the others. She wanted to respect Tony's wish, but she still did not like it. Sure, she had toed the line. Ziva did seize every opportunity to suggest that something was new with her. However, Ziva felt as though she was losing her patience. If she did not tell someone soon, Ziva felt like she would explode.

Before coming to America, Ziva had been very adept at keeping secrets. That was an ideal quality for someone who worked for Mossad. In that line of work, you were dead if you could not hide certain things. That was just the way that things were. Since joining NCIS, it was much harder for her to bottle stuff up. Ziva thought that Gibbs and the rest of the team had something to do with this. She knew that Gibbs despised secrets, so she never attempted to keep any.

Tony looked up from his platter of manicotti. He saw that his wife was lost in her thoughts again. Clearing his throat, Tony attempted to snap her out of it. Ziva blinked several times, and came out of her reverie. She looked apologetically at her husband. Tony held up a hand to stop her.

"You know how Gibbs feels about apologies," he told her.

"The same way that he feels about secrets," retorted Ziva, giving Tony a look.

"Ziva," Tony started, but Ziva interrupted him.

"I do not want to hide this any longer," declared Ziva, pounding a fist onto the table. "I want the others to know. Why can we not tell them? And do not say because I am not ready, Tony. You were so excited when you found out."

Tony sighed. He should have known that this outburst was coming. Ziva had not exactly been very happy about not telling the others. She had made that perfectly clear. He was surprised that she had went this long without toppling over before. Her hormones had been rampant since finding out that she was pregnant.

"You are right," answered Tony, placing his hand into hers. "We should tell them. How about tonight?"

Ziva blinked several times in shock. Was this really happening? Was Tony finally giving in?

"Tonight is perfect," replied Ziva, smiling.

"Great, I'll make a few phone calls," said Tony, taking out his phone.

* * *

It was five o'clock. The rest of Team Gibbs would be here any moment. Platters of various snacks had been laid out onto the dining room table. A big bowl of punch was the centerpiece of the table. The punch resembled a bubble bath. It even had little rubber ducks floating on top. All of the food was miniature. Ziva grinned at the subtle clue. Everything was all set up. Now, their guests just had to arrive.

There was a knock at the door. Tony opened it. Jimmy and Breena were the first to arrive. Gibbs and Ducky followed a minute behind them. McGee and Abby were the last to arrive. McGee told Ziva and Tony that his car had broken down. Otherwise, they would have been here sooner. Tony refrained from making a joke. He decided to follow his rule: Never kick a Probie when he is down.

Everyone quickly made their rounds with the refreshments. Breena was the first to comment on how tiny everything was. Abby thought that the ducks were cute. Jimmy thought that the food smelled delicious, and got the biggest plateful of everything. Ziva could see that Gibbs was slowly putting everything together. He had a bit of food and punch, but he seemed to be deep in thought.

"I should have seen this sooner," Gibbs said out loud.

Everyone looked at him in confusion. Gibbs smiled. He even gave himself a smack to the back of the head. The others chuckled nervously. It was unusual to see Gibbs like this. Gibbs walked over to the DiNozzos. He hugged Ziva and shook Tony's hand.

"Congratulations," he said, grinning broadly.

Ducky was the second to understand. Soon, everyone else began to realize why they had been gathered here. Breena and Jimmy hugged Tony and Ziva. McGee patted Tony on the back. Abby hugged Tony and Ziva tightly.

"I cannot believe that you are going to be parents!" Abby squealed, happily.

Tony and Ziva beamed with happiness. Everyone was excited for them.

"So, when do we get to meet the little miracle?" questioned Ducky.

"My due date is October second," responded Ziva.

"Seems like such a long time," said Breena, sadly.

"It'll be October before you know it," commented Jimmy, giving his wife a squeeze. "Only eight and a half months away."

"Only," repeated Abby. "That seems like an eternity."

"This is something worth waiting for," said Gibbs.

The others nodded in agreement. Eight and half months was a long time to wait, but it would be worth it. A new legacy to the DiNozzo line was going to be born. Everyone could not wait to meet him or her.

"A toast," McGee said, loudly. "To the new parents-to-be."

Everyone lifted their glasses to Tony and Ziva. They drank and grinned at the couple. It was going to be a long pregnancy. For everyone. But they knew that it would be worth it in the end.

* * *

**Yay! Everyone knows now! Let me know what you think! Drop me a line!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's Notes: I surprise myself sometimes. Didn't think that I would have time to post this week, but I do. So I am. Lucky you, readers, lucky you. ;)**

* * *

**Special thanks to all of you who reviewed, favorited, or followed. TotalCowgirl: Thanks. Gotta put in some fluff every now and then. ;) Nando2k50: Welcome back, my friend! And thanks. Sometimes, Gibbs isn't as all-knowing as people think that he is. Countrynciscatlover: Thank you. That's what I was hoping for so I am glad that I was able to do that. Gingerstorm101: Thank you. Yeah, even Gibbs can be oblivious at times. ;) CelestrialMoon: Thanks. Yeah, I thought that Ziva might look back and think that maybe teasing him wasn't such a grand idea after all. I will still watch it no matter what. I will be upset, but I will still watch it. I'm hoping that Bishop won't be perfect. From the description, she sounds kind of Mary-Sue ish. But I could be proven wrong. We will have to wait and see.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: More Big News**

* * *

Ziva was not a happy camper. Five months into her pregnancy, and she was forced to do desk work. The former Mossad agent was absolutely livid. It was not because she felt that desk work was beneath her. Ziva realized the importance of the task to the workplace as a whole. No, Ziva was furious because she had not been given a choice. Tony, backed by Gibbs, had insisted that Ziva remain at a desk for the duration of her pregnancy.

"As Senior field agent, it is my duty to make sure that my junior agents are in tip top shape to perform," stated Tony. "It is my opinion that Ziva's condition prevents her from being able to perform to her maximum capability. Therefore, I suggest that she is assigned to work at a desk until she is fit for field work again."

Tony had played the Senior field agent card. That had really pissed Ziva off. Ziva felt that she was in perfect shape to continue doing field work. Despite gaining twenty pounds from pregnancy, Ziva knew that she could still outrun both Tony and McGee when chasing a suspect. Tony was just off on one of his chivalrous crusades, and Ziva did not like it one bit.

However, none of that mattered. Tony had already convinced both Gibbs and Director Vance that Ziva could not do field work. The papers authorizing Ziva's new job had already been signed. There was nothing that Ziva could do about it. She would just have to suck it up and wait. It was only another four months. If the first five were any indication, the last four would fly by. She would be back to working in the field before she knew it.

* * *

Ziva looked up as she heard the elevator ding. She was kind of hoping that Gibbs, Tony, and McGee would return. It was sort of lonely in the bullpen without them. Desk work was very monotonous. Having other people around would certainly be a welcome change.

She was slightly disappointed when it was Abby who stepped out of the elevator. However, Ziva's frown quickly turned into a grin. At least Abby could keep her company for a little while. Ziva would take whatever reprieve that she could get. A break from desk work was desperately needed.

As the Goth rushed towards her, Ziva noticed something. Sure, the Goth was always happy, but something was different. Her smile seemed brighter. Abby's face was glowing. She seemed to be unable to control herself.

"What is new, Abby?" asked Ziva, hoping that her friend could enlighten her.

"Remember how Tim took me to that restaurant on R street last night," Abby began, hardly able to contain herself.

"Yeah, If I recall, it is the Pearl, right?" Ziva stated.

Abby nodded.

"That's the one," Abby replied, beaming. Then, she added, "Well, he told me how much that he loved me, and how he couldn't live without me. And then, he pulled out a ring and proposed! And I said yes!"

"Abby, that is wonderful! Congratulations!" Ziva exclaimed, grinning widely.

Ziva hugged Abby. Abby smiled into Ziva's shoulder. It was a mark of how close the two women were. Ziva was not the type to hug just anyone. That was reserved for family and close friends. She had come a long way since she had first arrived in America. Abby thought back to when they first met. At the time, Abby did not like Ziva. She was still grieving over Kate's death, and Ziva was an outsider. Not to mention, Ziva's brother was the one who had murdered Kate. That did not endear Ziva to Abby.

Now, Ziva and Abby were as close as sisters. So much had changed in just a few years. Abby could not imagine wanting things to be different. She liked everything just the way it was.

"You are the first person that I have told," declared Abby. "I haven't even told Gibbs yet. Though Tim might have beat me to it."

Just as she said this, Ziva followed Abby's gaze. McGee and Gibbs were having a conversation by the elevator. Tony was walking towards Abby and Ziva. He had a broad smile on his face.

"Gibbs is giving your McFiancee the Riot Act," explained Tony, looking at Abby.

Abby frowned.

"You know that I hate it when you give him McNicknames in front of me," she said.

"Sorry Abs, I just cannot help myself," replied Tony, still grinning. "Besides, he is just telling him the same thing that he told me."

"Let me guess," Ziva said, joining in. "If you hurt her, I will hurt you."

Tony blanched.

"Pretty much," he muttered.

"You know, we can protect ourselves," Ziva declared. "We do not need our men to protect us."

"But it is what we do," replied Tony, stunned. "Or, at least, I do. Cannot speak for Probie there. He isn't much in the protection detail. Ow!"

Tony doubled over. Abby elbowed Tony in the side. She glared at him. Tony just looked at her in disbelief.

"Tim is a very good protector, Tony," Abby stated. "He's protected you for years."

Tony did not say a word. He was still trying to catch his breath. Ziva grabbed Tony's hand and led him to his desk. She made him sit down.

"Should have known better," Tony mumbled to himself. "Hormonal women tend to stick together."

"What was that?" asked Ziva, in a dangerously sweet voice.

"You look positively radiant today, Ziva," responded Tony, quickly.

"That is what I thought you said, my hairy butt," Ziva said, patting his cheek sharply.

Abby smirked at Tony as Ziva walked back to her desk. Tony was rubbing the side of his face where Ziva's hand had been. Gibbs and McGee were walking this way. McGee sat down in his chair and started typing away. Gibbs picked up the phone to make some calls. There was silence in the bullpen. Abby took this as her cue to leave. She had work to do in her lab.

* * *

**Yay! McGee and Abby are engaged! Sorry about the awkward ending, but I hope that you liked this chapter nonetheless. =)**


	40. Chapter 40

**Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited! You guys rock! TotalCowGirl: Thank you! Gingerstorm101: I agree. But she doesn't listen to me. *shakes head* Countrynciscatlover: It'll be coming up in a few chapters. =) And thank you. Bdn2372: Pretty much. CelestrialMoon: Will do. =)**

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**I just realized that this is the most chaptered story that I have ever written. But it isn't the story with the most words. Lol. I'm still at least twenty thousand away from that happening.**

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**Okay, now that that side note is over, time to get on with it.**

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**Chapter Fourty: Baby Names and Wedding Dresses.**

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Tony and Ziva were curled up on the couch together. Ziva was clutching a paperback book entitled 10,000 Baby Names. They were entering the last month of the pregnancy, and they still could not decide on a name. Tony kept insisting on names like Magnum, Kit, or John Wayne. Basically, any famous movie star or television show that Tony liked, he wanted to name their child after. On the other hand, Ziva was dead set on three names. Those names were Aliyah, Tali, or Monique. Tony refused to listen. He was still convinced that the unborn child would be a boy. Ziva stubbornly believed that the child was a girl.

"DiNozzos do not produce girls, Ziva," declared Tony for the umpteenth time. "My Great Aunt Tilly was the last one, and she's over eighty years old!"

"It is time for a comeback, then," retorted Ziva.

Tony did not respond. Instead, he looked at the book again.

"Leonardo, now that is a name!" Tony exclaimed, pointing at the name on the page.

"Again with the movie stars?" questioned Ziva, a little annoyed.

"What! I just like the name!" Tony claimed, acting innocent.

"Oh yes, and the fact that a very famous actor shares that name had nothing to do with it," answered Ziva, rolling her eyes.

"Why don't we make a deal?" suggested Tony.

The sudden shift in conversation startled Ziva. She had not been expecting it. The change had put her off her guard. But she was curious as to what her husband had in mind. So she decided to bite.

"I am listening," replied Ziva, her full attention on Tony.

"If the baby turns out to be a boy, I get to name him," said Tony. "But if the baby is a girl, you can decide on the name."

Ziva thought about it. She was not sure how she felt about the bet. Tony must be pretty confident that the child will be a boy. Otherwise, he would not even have suggested this. Part of Ziva felt a little offended that this bet was even being considered. It felt so wrong. However, she was tired of the bickering over the name. They had been arguing about it for the past month. It was time to put it to rest once and for all.

"Okay," Ziva conceded.

Tony smiled. He took the opportunity to extract the book from Ziva's grasp. Ziva let out a cry of annoyance. She attempted to catch the book and failed. It landed onto the carpeted floor a few feet away. She glared at Tony.

"I was not done looking through that," Ziva hissed.

"Are you sure?" inquired Tony. "I thought that you already picked out your name?"

"Perhaps, I changed my mind," replied Ziva, trying to get to her feet.

Tony got up before she did. He picked up the book. Walking back to the couch, Tony handed the book to her. Ziva opened the book, but was surprised when Tony did not rejoin her on the couch.

"Where are you going?" asked Ziva, looking up at Tony.

"To bed," he answered. "I don't need to look at the book. I already know what name I am choosing."

"An actor name, I presume," retorted Ziva.

"No, as a matter of fact, it isn't," replied Tony.

Ziva was intrigued. For at least a month, Tony had insisted on an actor name. Now, out of the blue, he had another name chosen. It was very strange indeed.

"What name?" questioned Ziva, eyes alight with curiosity.

"You'll find out," was Tony's response. "When our son is born."

* * *

The next day was Sunday. After going to church with Abby, Ziva and Abby went to the bridal store. The bowling nuns, a few of Abby's college friends, and Breena were already there. Abby was going to try on wedding dresses today, and she wanted varying opinions. That was why so many people had been invited to come. Abby was determined to find the perfect dress.

Each person was instructed to pick out a wedding dress for Abby to try on. Abby even picked out her own dress hopeful. She would try each of them on and pick her favorite. The girls got to work instantly. Each wanted to pick the dress that Abby would wear. After an hour, everyone had picked out their favorites. Abby spent the next hour modeling each one. Every nun, except Sister Harriet, chose a very traditional and modest dress. Sister Harriet's dress was a bit more on the princess side. Abby's college friends each chose dresses that were a bit shorter than normal wedding gowns. Abby ended up hating the dress that she had picked. It had looked nice on the rack, but fit her in all the wrong places.

The dress that Breena picked out was the undeniable winner. Everybody agreed that Abby looked gorgeous in it. The dress was a bit more modern than the traditional dresses. The dress had a slit that ran up past her knee cap in a tasteful way. It was cream colored to offset Abby's alabaster skin. Everyone agreed that white was a bad decision. Even the nuns, though Abby could tell that they were completely happy with the choice.

"Oh, this is so wonderful!" Abby exclaimed happily. She hugged Breena. "Thank you so much! The dress is beautiful!"

"You are welcome!" Breena replied, hugging Abby back. "Tim will freak when he sees how stunning you look in that dress!"

Once the dress was purchased, Abby and the others parted ways. Only Ziva, Breena, and Abby's two college friends remained. They stopped for lunch at the Mongolian restaurant on F street. Halfway through, Ziva began to complain of really sharp pains.

"It is okay," Ziva told the others. "The baby is kicking."

The others looked at her in concern. Abby and Breena were both biting their lips. Ziva claimed once again that she was fine. Everything went back to normal for a few minutes. Then, the pain started again. This time, it was much worse.

"Do not say that you are alright," demanded Breena, glaring at Ziva. "You are having contractions."

"Breena's right," chimed in Abby. "We need to get you to a hospital. Baby Tiva is coming."

"Tiva," repeated Ziva, confused.

"Tony and Ziva put together," explained Abby. "That makes Tiva. Now, come on. Let's go."

One of Abby's college buddies offered to pay. Abby refused. Abby paid their tab. She then proceeded to lead Ziva to her car. Everyone piled into Abby's hearse. Abby wasted no time. She drove as quickly as she could to the hospital. Breena was already on the phone to call Tony. The baby was on his or her way. There was not much time.

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**Baby Tiva is coming! Baby Tiva is coming! Which will it be? A boy or a girl? And what will the baby's name be? Find out in the next chapter. In the mean time, reviews are always welcomed!**


	41. Chapter 41

**Author's Notes: The time has finally come! Baby Tiva will be born! Will it be a boy? Will it be a girl? Find out soon, kiddos.**

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**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed. Mishka: Even if the baby is a girl, Tony will most likely reveal the name. He's not good at keeping secrets. ;) Bdn2372: Yeah, I've noticed that a lot. Almost every Tiva story that I have read, they end up with a girl. Countrynciscatlover: That they do. Lol. TotalCowGirl: One update, coming right up! =) CelestrialMoon: Nope, it isn't David. All I can say is that it will be a Hebrew name. Josette1807: Thank you! Although I can honestly say that it won't be twins. Gingerstorm101: I swear that that is a girl thing. Guys almost always want a boy. Girls almost always want a girl. =) Wolf Stevens: Maybe. ;)**

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**Chapter Forty-One: Welcoming Baby Tiva!**

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"Just a little bit more, Missus DiNozzo," urged the doctor.

Ziva grunted. She took a deep breath before continuing to push. She screamed in pain. Who knew that childbirth could be this painful? Even with the epidural, Ziva felt as though her insides were being ripped to shreds. Tony, who had rushed to the hospital as quickly as he could, was kneeling beside his wife. His left hand was being crushed by Ziva's right. He was positive that his hand would be broken by the time that this was all over. The pressure was a bit too much. He would need surgery for his hand once this was done.

Abby and Breena chanted their words of encouragement to Ziva. Jimmy and Tim gave Tony looks of deep sympathy. After one particularly hard push, Ziva glared at Tony. Tony gulped at the malevolent look on his wife's face.

"I am going to make you pay for this!" Ziva growled.

Tony's eyes grew wide, but he tried to keep his cool. He knew that Ziva did not mean it. The pain of childbirth was getting to her. Gibbs had warned him about this. He told Tony that Shannon had almost strangled him when she gave birth to Kelly. Once Shannon had held Kelly, all of her murderous rage had vanished.

"One more push should do it!" the doctor yelled over Ziva's shouts.

Ziva inhaled deeply. As she exhaled, Ziva strained herself to shove the baby out. The room was suddenly filled with new cries. The doctor stood up. He was holding their newborn baby in his arms.

"Congratulations," said the doctor. "You are the proud parents of a healthy baby boy."

Ziva was so shocked that she let go of Tony's hand. Breena and Abby let out squeals of delight. Jimmy and Tim beamed at Ziva and Tony. Tony rolled over onto his back. He clutched his left hand tenderly. A big, broad smile crept onto his face at the announcement. Laughter escaped his lips. Tony was right. The baby inside of Ziva was a boy. That meant that he got to choose the name. And Tony knew exactly what name his son was going to have.

"Mister DiNozzo, would you like to do the honors?" asked the doctor, holding the scissors to cut the umbilical cord.

* * *

Tony stopped laughing. He got to his feet. The doctor handed Tony the scissors. Tony snipped off the umbilical cord. He helped the doctor clean the blood off of his son. The newborn was swathed in a soft, blue blanket. The doctor handed the baby over to Tony to hold him. Tony gazed down at his son, lovingly. The boy's eyes were closed. Tony noticed that the boy had olive skin and dark hair just like his mother. In fact, the baby in his arms looked identical to his wife. Tony was a little saddened by this. He was kind of hoping that the baby would look like him.

Tony looked up at his wife. She was watching her husband bond with the newborn. They shared a smile.

"Would you like to hold your son, sweet cheeks?" questioned Tony, looking over at his wife.

"Yes," answered Ziva.

Tony walked over to his wife. He placed the newborn in her arms. Tony leaned in and kissed the top of Ziva's head. Ziva grinned contentedly at Tony. Then, she only had eyes for her son.

"He is so adorable, Tony," cooed Abby.

"Very cute," agreed Tim, wrapping an arm around Abby's waist.

"Of course he is," Tony declared, puffing out his chest. "He's a DiNozzo."

Tim rolled his eyes. Everyone else chuckled. There was a knock on the door. The doctor was back. He had a few documents in his hand.

"These are just legal documents stating the baby's information," explained the doctor, handing the papers to Tony. "It's just basic stuff such as his name, date of birth, and parents' names. Hospital procedure and all."

The doctor walked back out after that. Everyone turned their attention back to the new parents and their son.

"So, what name did you guys pick out for your bundle of joy?" inquired Breena, her eyes gleaming.

Ziva looked at Tony. Now was the moment. He had earned the right to name their child. Tony had guessed correctly that the newborn would be a boy. She was curious as to what name he had chosen.

"Our son's name is Hiram Wayne DiNozzo," declared Tony.

"Unique," said Abby, smiling.

"That wouldn't be John Wayne, would it?" questioned Jimmy.

"Yes, that is where I got Wayne from," replied Tony.

"Oh, I was wondering," responded Jimmy. "I thought that you meant Wayne as in Wayne's world."

"That's a good movie, but I'd rather have it represent my love for John Wayne movies instead," said Tony.

"Really, Tony?" exasperated Tim. "Wayne as a middle name."

"I think that Wayne is a great middle name," chimed in Breena.

"What do you think, Ziva?" questioned Tony, turning to his wife for her opinion. Ziva had been rather quiet. Tony was not certain that he liked that. It did not seem like it was a positive thing.

"Tony, I love the name," replied Ziva, grinning from ear to ear.

Tony's smile grew even bigger. He kissed Ziva on the lips. Then, he kissed the top of little Hiram's head.

"Hiram Wayne DiNozzo, welcome to the world!" Tony cried out, happily.

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**Little Hiram Wayne DiNozzo has entered the world. Tony and Ziva are officially parents! Yay! Let me know what you think! Drop me a line!**


	42. Chapter 42

**Author's Notes: Baby Hiram has come into the world! Tony and Ziva are beginning their journey as parents! How exciting!**

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**Special thanks to all who favorited, followed, or reviewed. Gingerstorm101: I looked it up, and it is pronounced: Hee-rahm. =) Countrynciscatlover: Thank you! Tony wanted to let you know that he was exaggerating. His hand wasn't really broken. It just felt that way since Ziva was crushing it so hard. =) TotalCowgirl: Thanks! Celestrial Moon: Thank you! Yeah, I wanted everyone to be there. I would think that at least some of them would be realistically. Since they are all family. And there's plenty of time for another baby. No worries on that. ;) bdn2372: Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if he had some nickname for baby Hiram. Lol. Dalzi: Thank you! And I most certainly will!**

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**Chapter Fourty-Two: Welcome home, Baby Hiram!**

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Tony and Ziva stepped over the threshold to their home. It was their first time being home since Hiram had been born. The baby in question was asleep in his father's arms. Tony had barely put Hiram down since he was born. Ziva had to fight tooth and nail to get the chance to hold him. She eyed Tony jealously. Something that Tony was quick to notice.

"I know," he said. He issued a sigh. "I am hogging the baby again. I'm sorry. I just find it very difficult to allow anyone else to hold him."

"Even his own mother?" inquired Ziva, a little annoyed and amused.

"Yeah," answered a sheepish Tony.

"Well, I am not going to hurt him," replied Ziva. "He is my son. I should be the last person on Earth that you are concerned with hurting him."

"Good point," said Tony, fairly.

Tony placed the baby in Ziva's arms. He grabbed their suitcases.

"I am going to prepare his crib," announced Tony.

"Okay," said Ziva, her eyes on her son.

Tony made his way upstairs with the luggage. Ziva sat down on the couch. Baby Hiram was still sound asleep. Ziva peered down at Hiram's sweet face. She felt as though she could never look at him enough. A lifetime would not be enough time.

"Mommy loves you so much," cooed Ziva in a soft voice.

Gently, Ziva began stroking Hiram's head. She realized that that was a mistake. The baby woke up suddenly. He scrunched up his face and started wailing at the top of his lungs. Ziva heard Tony's thundering footsteps. Seconds later, Tony was standing in front of her. Tony scooped Hiram into his arms and glared at Ziva.

"What did you do?" Tony asked.

"Excuse me?" said Ziva, looking incredulous.

"What did you do?" repeated Tony.

"I did not do anything," replied Ziva, seething. "I was just talking to my baby while holding him. I stroked the top of his head and he woke up."

"Ah, there's the problem," said Tony. "He doesn't like having his head touched while sleeping."

"Well, most babies do," retorted Ziva.

"Not little H," said Tony, smiling at his son.

"Little H? Really, Tony?"

"What? It is just a nickname."

"It is a horrible nickname!"

"Okay, fine. Wayne, then."

"No, you are not calling Hiram by his middle name."

"Buddy?"

"Yeah, if you want our son to feel like a dog," responded Ziva. "No nicknames."

"You're no fun," pouted Tony.

"I am loads of fun," answered Ziva, waggling her eyebrows.

* * *

Normally, this is where Tony would make a suggestive comment back. However, he did not this time. Instead, Tony said something that Ziva was never expecting. Something that she never thought would come from him.

"Really? Now is not the time. I am not in the mood."

"Are you serious, Tony?" asked Ziva. She placed a hand to his forehead. It felt normal. "Are you coming down with something?"

"I am as healthy as a horse," replied Tony, puffing out his chest. "But you are still healing. I don't want to do anything just yet. Not until you are fully recovered."

Ziva sighed in defeat. It was useless fighting against Tony. Especially when he was right. She would just have to wait the required two months. By then, the doctor told her that everything should be okay.

There was a knock on the door. Ziva went to the door and answered it. Gibbs was standing there. He was holding a bottle of wine and a gift wrapped box.

"Come on in Gibbs," said Ziva, ushering the silver-haired fox inside.

Ziva shut the door behind Gibbs. He followed Ziva into the living room. Tony was sitting down on the couch. Baby Hiram was laughing at the funny faces Tony was making. Gibbs smirked. It reminded him of his time with Kelly. She had loved it when he had been silly with her.

"I see that fatherhood agrees with you, DiNozzo," said Gibbs, smiling.

Tony jumped a bit. Hiram started bawling. Ziva took Hiram in her arms to soothe him. The baby's cries stopped instantly at his mother's touch. Gibbs smiled at Ziva. Motherhood agreed with her.

"I came by to congratulate you two," said Gibbs, holding the wine and gift. "Since I was unable to be there for the birth. I had some things to take care of."

Tony and Ziva knew what Gibbs was referring to. Gibbs had tracked down the person who had issued the hit on Ziva. Turns out, it was Ciro who had orchestrated the whole thing. Ciro was actually part of Hamas. He was trying to make a name for himself by taking down the ex-Mossad leader's daughter. Ciro was on his way to prison right now. He was facing the death penalty.

Both Tony and Ziva wondered how they could have been so wrong about Ciro. He did not seem to be the type to be a terrorist. Although, it seemed as though anyone could be a terrorist these days. Everyone was looking for a bit of power. And Ciro was no different.

"Can I hold the baby?" asked Gibbs.

Tony looked as though Gibbs had asked for one of his kidneys. Ziva sighed. It was going to be a challenge getting Tony to let go of Hiram.

"Tony, let Gibbs hold him," pleaded Ziva.

"How do I know that Gibbs won't try to take him?" asked Tony, suspiciously.

Tony felt something collide with the back of his head. Baby Hiram giggled as his dad made a face. Ziva and Gibbs smirked.

"Never mind, boss," muttered Tony, handing the baby over to him.

Gibbs stayed for another hour. Then, he left. After Gibbs left, Tony and Ziva put Hiram to bed. Once Hiram was tucked in and asleep, Tony and Ziva headed for bed as well. Tony was going back to wok in the morning. He wanted to be fully rested for his first day back. Who knew what was going to happen? For that reason, Tony wanted to be on his game.

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**Tony was being a bit of a pain, wasn't he? Poor Ziva. Lol. Let me know what you think. Drop me a line!**


	43. Chapter 43

**Author's Notes: Hey, I am back! And ready to post another chapter! Excited? You should be!**

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**I want to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited. Countrynciscatlover: I think so too. Fathers are very protective of their daughters. Especially when they get older. Bdn2372: Yeah, I could totally see Tony doing that lol. CelestrialMoon: Yeah, I think that is the reason. He knows that he won't get to spend as much time with baby Hiram once he starts working again, so he is making the most of it. Ziva is hurt by his actions, but I think that she understands. She knows that once she goes back to work, neither of them will get much time with the baby. But I have a feeling that Tony will tone it down. ;) TotalCowGirl: Yeah, I know. I would go crazy if I had a kid and my husband/boyfriend tried that. Lol. Gingerstorm101: I think Tony enjoys being a butt sometimes just for the sake of being one. Lol. ;)**

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**Chapter Fourty-Three: Photographs**

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Tony sauntered into the bullpen the next morning. Gibbs and McGee were both at their desks. McGee was busy typing up a report. Gibbs was taking a sip of his coffee. McGee looked up when Tony reached his desk.

"Well, don't you want to see the pictures?" asked Tony, waving the photos in McGee's face.

"Can't I get a good morning first?" questioned McGee, furrowing his brow.

"Good morning, McSunshine," said Tony. He continued to wave the photos around. "Now will you look at these pictures?"

It was hard not to look at the pictures in Tony's hand. Especially when they were in plain view. McGee knew that Tony would keep pestering him until he did go through the pictures, so he relented. As McGee sifted through the pictures, Tony added his own commentary on each one.

"And that's when we opened the door to our new home. And that one is Ziva changing his diaper. Oooh, this is one of my favorites! This one here is me tucking Hiram into his crib."

Gibbs listened in. He rolled his eyes, but a grin crept onto his face. He was happy for Tony. Having a kid was the greatest joy a person could experience. Tony seemed to be on the path to being an excellent dad. Anyone who had been around Tony and Hiram for five seconds could tell you that. Tony loved his little boy.

The elevator dinged, and Abby rushed out. Her face was lit up with a bright smile as she made her way over to Tony. Abby accidentally collided with McGee and knocked the pictures out of his hand. After apologizing, Abby helped McGee pick up the photos. Abby squealed with delight as she noticed the content of the photographs.

* * *

"Aww, he is so cute!" cooed Abby, sifting through the photos. Then, she frowned. "Why isn't Ziva in more of these? Most of these photos are of Tony and Hiram?"

"Because Tony has a hard time sharing Hiram with Ziva," replied Gibbs.

Abby glared at Tony. Tony looked sheepishly at the others.

"He is her son too, Tony," McGee declared. "You really should allow her some time with him."

"I'll keep that in mind, McDoctor Phil," responded Tony.

"You'd better," warned Abby. "Kids need their parents. Both of their parents. Right?"

Abby glanced over at Gibbs. Gibbs nodded in assent. Tony sighed. If he was being honest with himself, Tony knew that they were right. He had dominated time with his son. Ziva had barely a minute with Hiram since his birth. It was not because Tony did not trust her or anyone else with his son. Tony just wanted some time with his son. He was happy to be a dad, and Tony wanted to be the best father that he could be for his child. Unfortunately, Tony had so far denied Ziva a chance to be a mother.

"Okay, you guys win," conceded Tony, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. "But, for the record, Ziva has now been home with Hiram for an hour. So, I am doing well so far."

"It doesn't count if you are keeping track of the time, Tony," McGee retorted, smirking.

Tony opened his mouth to say something, but one look from Gibbs made Tony close it.

"Shutting up now, boss," Tony said, sitting at his desk.

The rest of the day went as normal. There wasn't a case, so the MCRT team went through cold cases all day. Tony could not keep his eyes off of the time displayed on his computer. Five o'clock could not come soon enough. Tony meant what he had said about Ziva. He was going to back off a bit and give her more time with Hiram. As the others had pointed out, Hiram was Ziva's son too. She deserved the chance to build a relationship with him. Once he was out of NCIS headquarters for the day, Tony was determined to let Ziva know.

Currently, it was a minute till five. Tony had stopped typing. He had finished his file ten minutes ago. Now, he was staring blankly at the computer screen, waiting for time to change. His eyes were beginning to burn. He had not blinked for about thirty seconds. He was afraid to blink. He wanted to see the time switch to five o'clock for himself.

His heart was racing. Tony could feel it beating against his chest. A droplet of sweat streaked down his face. It felt as though time had stopped, and that was driving Tony mad. He thought that the wait would be the death of him.

Just when Tony believed that he could not take it any longer, five o'clock came. Tony sprang to his feet. He doubled over when he hit his knee against the desktop. Hopping up and down in pain, Tony picked up his duffel bag. Once the pain subsided, Tony dashed to the elevator. McGee called after Tony as he passed. The Senior Field Agent did not pay him any mind. Tony was on a mission. There was no way of getting through to him. Not until the mission was completed, at least.

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**Looks like Tony had a change of heart. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it. **


	44. Chapter 44

**Author's Notes: Did Tony really have a change of heart? Will Ziva get to spend more time with her son? Find out soon. The next installment is coming up.**

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**My author's note would be incomplete if I did not take the time to thank those who followed, reviewed, or favorited this story. It is your feedback that keeps this story going. And I appreciate every bit of it!**

* * *

**TotalCowGirl: Let's hope so. And thank you. Gingerstorm101: I've never seen that episode. I used to watch that with my grandmother. It was one of her favorite shows. CelestrialMoon: It will be. Tony has a lot of making up to do, and I doubt Ziva will forgive him very easily. Countrynciscatlover: Yes, it is. Little boys need their mothers as much as they need their fathers. And thanks. =) Guest: I think that he is beginning to see the error of his ways. I think we will see a new Tony. =) Bdn2372: You will soon find out! ;)**

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**Chapter Forty-Four: On Bended Knee**

* * *

Tony wasted no time at all. He realized that he had royally screwed up this time. This was far worse than any other thing that he had ever done. Tony was going to have to do some serious overhaul in order to correct his mistake. Even then, Tony was not convinced that Ziva would forgive him. He could only try to pacify her at this point. It was going to take a miracle for him to be forgiven.

First stop was the flower shop. Tony knew that it was a cliché, but buying flowers for Ziva could not make matters worse. He paid the shop clerk and walked out with his bouquet of tiger lilies, Ziva's favorite. Tony's next stop took him to the grocery store. Pushing a shopping cart, Tony grabbed ingredients for a supper fit for a queen. Once he had paid for the food, Tony traveled to the liquor store. He went to the relaxation place on F street that sold spa treatment items to pick some stuff up. Finally, Tony made his way home.

It brought a smile to Tony's face when he saw Ziva sitting on the couch with Hiram in her arms. She was singing sweetly to him in Hebrew. Tony did not understand the words, but he knew that it sounded pleasant. It was not until Tony had finished bringing stuff in from the car that Ziva noticed his presence. The singing died and Ziva glared at Tony.

"I guess time with my son is over, yes?" questioned Ziva in an icy tone.

Tony was not the least bit shocked by Ziva's attitude. He had expected it. There was no way that she would allow his behavior without some sort of consequence. It was going to be tough to gain Ziva's forgiveness, but Tony was confident that he could do it. He was going to start by ignoring her question.

"Are you hungry?" Tony asked her. "I stopped at the store and picked up some things for supper."

"I have not eaten in a few hours," admitted Ziva. "I just fed Hiram though. Do you want me to prepare supper?"

"No," replied Tony. "I am going to make food for us."

"Really?" asked Ziva, her eyes wide. Tony could have chuckled at the surprise in her voice.

"Yes, Missus DiNozzo," answered Tony. "I will be making supper tonight. All you have to do is sit and relax with our son."

"Tony, this does not mean that I have forgotten about your actions from before. You do know that, right?"

"Of course, I do," said Tony, smiling despite himself. "But it doesn't hurt, does it?"

"No," said Ziva, a shadow of a grin playing on her lips. "It does not."

* * *

Tony vanished into the kitchen. Ziva thought that he was going to go prepare supper. But she was wrong. Tony brought out the flowers to Ziva. As Tony put the flowers down in front of her, Ziva's eyes brightened.

"They are lovely," Ziva exclaimed.

"I knew that they were your favorites," said Tony, grinning.

"Still does not change anything," Ziva reminded him.

Tony deflated a bit. His shoulders slumped. He pouted his lips and stared at the floor.

"I know," he whispered. Tony raised his head up and held a straight face. "Supper will be ready in a half an hour."

Before Ziva could answer him, Tony was already busying himself in the kitchen. Ziva continued singing the lullaby to Hiram. Hiram's eyes were beginning to droop. Once his eyes were closed, Ziva carried him to his crib. Ziva tucked Hiram in. After saying good night, Ziva turned on his night light and left the room. As Ziva descended the stairs, the aroma of cooking chicken filled her nostrils. She stood in the doorway to the kitchen and watched her husband.

She was still quite angry with Tony. The way that he had acted really ticked her off. Ziva was not ready to forgive him just yet. Tony had a lot of penance to go through before that happened. But the flowers and the dinner had certainly made Tony more favorable in her eyes.

"So, who was it?" Ziva inquired, folding her arms over her chest.

Tony put the sauce spoon down. He looked over at his wife.

"What do you mean?"

"Who made you see the light?" asked Ziva. "Was it Abby, Gibbs, or McGee?"

"None of them, actually," replied Tony, turning back to the simmering pot of sauce. "I figured it out all on my own."

"Uh huh. Sure you did," said Ziva in disbelief. "Do not try to lie to me. The fact that you would not look at me when you said that, tells me that you are lying. I am a human lie detector. It was Abby, was it not?"

"She may have helped to steer me in the right direction," Tony conceded, glancing at Ziva.

"I had a feeling," declared Ziva, smirking in triumph.

Tony did not respond. He was busy getting out plates and setting the table. He placed two wine glasses onto the table. Tony unscrewed the top of the wine bottle. He poured the wine into both glasses before placing the wine bottle back into the refrigerator. He pulled out a chair for Ziva. Surprised, Ziva sat down in the chair.

Tony put a bit of pasta onto Ziva's plate. He put some chicken on top and poured some sauce over it. Setting the plate down in front of Ziva, Tony walked away to create his own plate. Ziva stared down at the plate. She realized the significance of the dish right away. It was chicken alfredo. That was what Ziva had eaten the night of their first date. Ziva chuckled.

"You made this on purpose, did you not?" asked Ziva, looking at her husband. Tony, who was seated across from her, put his fork down. An innocent look crept onto his face.

"Oh, did I? I had no idea."

Ziva decided to ignore this comment. They both knew what he was doing, and Ziva appreciated it. He truly was making an effort to fix things. Not once had Tony asked her to do anything. Nor had Tony spent any time with his son today. That made Ziva a little sad thinking about it. Did Tony think that he was banned from bonding with his son? Just because he had already spent a lot of time with him? Ziva hoped not. Hiram needed to bond with both of his parents. Ziva knew that and she prayed that Tony realized that as well. If he did not, Ziva was determined to make him see it.

"I put Hiram down for his nap," stated Ziva. "You should spend some time with him after we eat."

"Are you sure?" inquired Tony, wondering why Ziva was doing this.

"I am positive. He is your son too. We need to share time with him. I had all day. Now, it is your turn," said Ziva, taking a sip of her wine.

"Okay, but first, I have one more surprise for you," said Tony, wolfing down his food even faster.

"Tony," chided Ziva, appalled at his pace of eating.

"Sorry," replied Tony, slowing his pace.

"Please, no more surprises," pleaded Ziva.

"Oh, but you'll really enjoy this one," remarked Tony. "And I promise it is the last one for today."

"For today?"

"Yes, for today," repeated Tony, his eyes twinkling.

Ziva huffed a sigh.

"There is no getting out of this, is there?" asked Ziva, hopeful.

"Nope."

"Okay, then," replied Ziva, resolutely.

* * *

By now, Tony and Ziva had finished their dinner. Tony scooped up the dirty plates. He tossed them into the sink. Ziva winced. She really hoped that Tony would not wake up Hiram. He would be cranky if he was woken up too soon. Fortunately, the noise did not wake the baby. Ziva issued a relieved sound.

"Follow me into the living room," Tony said, holding out his hand for her to take.

Warily, Ziva took her husband's hand. He led her out to the couch. She sat down onto the couch. Tony disappeared. When he reappeared, Tony was carrying a bag. Ziva looked curiously at the bag.

"What is in there?" demanded Ziva, pointing.

"You'll find out soon enough," responded Tony, mysteriously.

She watched as Tony pulled out a tub of scrubbing salt. A bucket full of water that Ziva had not noticed before was in front of her feet. Tony lifted both of her feet and placed them in the water. Ziva wriggled her toes in the bucket of water. The water was warm but not too hot. Once Ziva's feet were wet, Tony propped her left foot on the side of the bucket. He opened the tub of scrubbing salt. Tony smeared the scrubbing salt into his palms. He worked the salt all over Ziva's feet.

Ziva tilted her head back. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling. The scrub felt so good on her feet. It was so nice to be pampered like this. No one had ever done anything like this for her before. She normally had to go to a salon to get this done. It was a different, yet pleasurable, experience receiving this in the comfort of her own home.

"Just sit back and enjoy," Tony told her.

"Oh, believe me, I am," said Ziva, opening her eyes halfway to look at Tony.

Tony continued his ministrations on Ziva's feet. Ziva felt herself relaxing even more. Sure, Tony was still in the dog house, but Ziva was not as mad any longer. Tony still had a while to go before she would forgive him. However, if he kept this up, Tony's penance might not last for too much longer.

* * *

**I'd say that this is a great start towards Tony being forgiven. What do you think, readers? Let me know!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Author's Notes: Hey everybody! I am back! Five days until the season premiere! I was watching Survivor last night and I saw a preview for NCIS. It looks like it is going to be really good! Unfortunately, I will not be able to watch it when it actually comes on. I have to work during that time. I will have to wait till the next day to watch it. I don't know if I will be posting before then. There's every possibility that I will be, but in case I do not, I am requesting that no one puts any spoilers in their reviews. I don't really want to know what happens before I get a chance to watch it. Thank you! =)**

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**Shout out to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! You guys are awesome! Gingerstorm101: Yes, he does. Lol. Guest: Oh, he will. Tony's punishment is far from over. Bdn2372: Oh, you'll see. ;) TotalCowGirl: Thanks! =) CelestrialMoon: You're right. Words can never be taken back. That's why Tony must prove to Ziva that he is sorry. And I will continue to write after October First. This story isn't quite finished yet. Though I would say that there is less than ten chapters left. Kristen: Thank you! Don't worry. Tony and Ziva definitely need to have a discussion. And it is definitely coming. KK: Thank you! And I will! Another chapter coming right up! Guest: Thank you, and you got it! ;)**

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**Chapter Forty-Five: A New Leaf**

* * *

Tony's hands were beginning to hurt. He did not know how much longer he could keep rubbing her feet. He could not even feel his fingers anymore. They were completely numb. Despite the throbbing pain, Tony kept on going. He was determined to show Ziva just how much that she meant to him. He told himself that he deserved the pain in his fingers. Pausing only to slather on more foot scrub between his hands, Tony continued his ministrations on Ziva's feet.

Ziva had been sitting on the couch for the past week during this time. Tony had spent very little time with Hiram. Most of his time had been occupied by pleasing Ziva. Cooking, cleaning, and pampering his wife were just some of the things that Tony had done. Ziva felt as though she should be happy. Tony was working really hard to show how sorry he was for his actions. However, Ziva was a little sad. Sad because her husband did not spend very much time with his newborn son.

In her opinion, Ziva felt it was wrong. A part of her was glad that Tony was going through his penance. But there was another part of her that was very unhappy that Tony was sacrificing time with Hiram to do so. Ziva did not want to keep her husband away from her son. That would just be cruel, and Ziva DiNozzo was anything but.

As Tony made to put more foot scrub on his hands, Ziva stopped him. He gazed up at her with those emerald eyes. Eyes, that Ziva remembered with a slight pang, reminded her of Hiram. The baby boy sleeping in the other room that was half Ziva and half Tony. The little miracle, as Ducky had called him, that had two parents who loved him dearly.

"We need to talk," said Ziva.

"Okay," answered Tony. He put the cap back on the foot scrub. Tony got to his feet. "Let me wash this gunk off of my hands first. Then, we will talk."

Ziva nodded. Tony vanished into the bathroom. She could hear the water running. Ziva spent this short period of time thinking about what to say. She did not want to say anything that might upset Tony. They had been doing a good job of upsetting each other a lot lately. Ziva just wanted things to get better. She was not ready to fully forgive Tony just yet, but she was tired of fighting.

Tony ambled back into the room. He took the empty seat beside his wife on the couch. Tony placed his hands on his knee caps. His emerald eyes were fixed upon Ziva's brown ones. She had his full attention. He was just waiting for her to speak.

"I have been thinking that some things need to change around here," said Ziva, slowly. She did not take her eyes off of Tony. She held his gaze. "I have not fully forgiven you for your actions, or words. However, I hate to see you not spending more time with Hiram."

"I only wanted you to have more time with him," explained Tony. "I realized that I made a mistake hogging Hiram. You barely had a chance to bond with him, and that wasn't fair. Every mother deserves to have bonding time with her son."

"Yes, but is spending as little time as possible with him really the best way?" questioned Ziva. "I wanted more time with our son, but I do not want you to sacrifice your time with him to receive it."

"So, I went about it the wrong way?" asked Tony, a little agitated.

"Yes," answered Ziva. "There should be a balance."

"I agree," replied Tony, some agitation fading. "That is why I thought that staying away would help. I thought maybe you could catch up on some much needed mother-son time."

"Tony, that was the case, but I never wanted you to give up so much of your time," said Ziva, partially annoyed and amused.

There was a pause. Neither one of them spoke. They just sat there and stared at the other. Finally, after five minutes, Tony broke the ice.

* * *

"Let's just bury the hatchet," suggested Tony. "It is obvious that neither one of us meant to hurt the other. It was completely unintentional."

"I am still hurt by your words," said Ziva. "I cannot forgive so easily in this case."

Ziva expected Tony to growl angrily. She thought that he might blow up in anger. However, Tony shocked her. He stayed very calm. Almost too much so. Ziva was a little worried. She waited with bated breath for him to say something.

"Okay, I understand," Tony said. "What do I have to do to convince you?"

"A little more penance," replied Ziva.

"How much more?" asked Tony, calmly.

"Two months' worth."

"Done."

"Really?"

"Yes," Tony responded, smiling. "If that is what it will take, I will do it. No complaints here."

"Thank you, Tony," said Ziva, smiling also. "This means a lot to me."

They hugged and kissed. Tony was relieved. At least he knew now that Ziva would eventually forgive him. He had been worried that she would not. Ziva felt a rush of relief herself. Tony agreed to spend time in between penance with his son. That made her a very happy woman. She grinned as Tony held her against his chest. She breathed in his scent. It was a very manly scent. A sort of woody musk that mingled well with Tony's natural smell.

Suddenly, they heard a cry on the baby monitor. Hiram was wailing about something. Without saying a word, Tony got up. Ziva made to get off the couch, but Tony told her to stay.

"I will handle this," he replied. "You relax."

As Tony vanished up the stairs, Ziva smiled to herself. This was Tony's subtle way of spending time with his son. Ziva reached for the remote control. She would gladly give him this time. After all, they needed to balance their time, right?

* * *

**So, how was that? Satisfactory? Unsatisfactory? Let me know!**


	46. Chapter 46

**Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I'm going to post the next chapter soon. I hope that you are all excited! I know that I am!**

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**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited! Bdn2372: Me too. I don't think those two can stay mad at each other for too long. It's not in their natures. I'm sure that she'll figure something out for his penance. ;) TotalCowGirl: That part made me happy too. I could totally see this happening in the show if they were to get together. ;) KK: Yep, they did. Tony's just has a penance to go through. Then, I think Ziva will forgive him. =) Celestrial Moon: Good, I am glad that you think so. =) Yeah, I thought it was sweet as well. Seems like the very thing that Tony would do. With all of the stuff that they are doing to the site, that could be why. I have noticed that some of my follows/favorites for this story have been fluctuating. So, it's been happening on my end too. Hopefully, it will go back to normal soon.**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Six: Ziva's Return**

* * *

It was a hectic morning in the DiNozzo household. Today was Ziva's first day back to work since having Hiram. Ziva had the alarm set for four forty-five in the morning. Unfortunately, there was a bad storm last night that knocked the power out while they were asleep. Ziva woke up to discover that she had twenty minutes to get ready for work. Rolling over, Ziva shook Tony awake.

"Tony, the alarm did not go off," she hissed. "We have twenty minutes to get to work!"

Still disoriented from sleep, Tony glanced over at his alarm clock. His eyes grew wide with fear as he noticed the blinking twelve o' clock light. Throwing the covers back, Tony leapt out of bed. Ziva followed suit. No time for a proper shower, Tony and Ziva got dressed quickly. Forgoing makeup, Ziva made her way to Hiram's room. She gently woke the baby up. Hiram opened his eyes and looked at his mother. He began wailing.

"Shh," Ziva cooed, picking the baby up and holding him in her arms.

Ziva heard the doorbell ring. She heard Tony go downstairs to answer the door. Hiram was still crying. Ziva carried him down the stairs. She smiled when she saw Mrs. Redford, the old lady they had paid to babysit Hiram during the day, speaking to Tony. Tony was telling Mrs. Redford everything that she would need to know about Hiram. Ziva busied herself with getting Hiram a bottle. Hiram was still screaming his little lungs out.

"Don't worry, dears," said Mrs. Redford, smiling. "I have had a few children of my own. I know just how to take care of them."

Mrs. Redford was their elderly next door neighbor. She lived alone in the house next door. Her husband, Mr. Redford, had died five years ago to lung cancer. When Ziva and Tony had moved into their house, Mrs. Redford had been the first to welcome them to the neighborhood. It had been quite easy to like Mrs. Redford. She was a very kind and sweet old lady. She was very matronly, and reminded the newlyweds of their own grandmothers. Mrs. Redford's hazel eyes had twinkled with delight the first time that she had met the DiNozzos.

That same twinkle was in Mrs. Redford's eyes when she held Hiram. Ziva and Tony knew that she loved children. Mrs. Redford was always babysitting or helping out at the local orphanage. For being eighty years old, Mrs. Redford was a very active woman. Tony once asked Mrs. Redford if too much activity was good for her. The old woman just grinned.

"It is very good for me," she stated, eyes lighting up. "It keeps me young."

* * *

Ziva looked at her watch. They still had five minutes to get to NCIS headquarters. Even if they got into their car right now, she knew that they would be late. Gibbs was not going to be too pleased with them. Ziva hoped that the silver-haired fox would be late as well. Although, she knew that was not likely. Gibbs seemed to have an internal alarm clock. He was never late.

"You two had better get going," said Mrs. Redford. "You're going to be late. Even as managers, you can't be late. Not a good example for your employees."

Tony and Ziva shared a smile. They had lied to Mrs. Redford about their occupations. According to Mrs. Redford, they were managers at a telephone company. She did not know that they worked for NCIS, which was for the best. Considering how dangerous their job was, the less people who knew the truth, the better.

After one last goodbye to their son, Tony and Ziva got in the car. Tony was speeding. Ziva was terrified that a cop would pull them over. She knew that Gibbs' wrath was going to be great when they did arrive. She did not want to aggravate it further.

Fortunately, Tony and Ziva did not get pulled over. By the time that they entered the bullpen, the married couple were already fifteen minutes late. McGee and Gibbs were already at their desks. McGee was typing away on his computer. He did not look up. Gibbs was on the phone with someone. He glared at Tony and Ziva. Only when Tony placed his duffel bag on the floor did Tim look up. He mouthed the words "_Where were you?_" to Tony, who mouthed back that his alarm clock stopped working. McGee noticed Ziva and smiled a friendly, welcome-back smile. Ziva grinned in return and said her thanks before sitting at her desk.

Gibbs hung up the phone. The noise resonated through the silent bullpen causing the other three agents to jump. Gibbs rose to his feet. He picked up his coffee. Taking a sip, he turned to the other agents.

"Grab your gear," ordered Gibbs. "We have a dead body at Rock Creek park."

Tony, Ziva, and Tim did as they were told. They entered the elevator at the same time. Tony and Ziva were surprised. Gibbs did not say a word about them being late. Nor did he welcome back Ziva. It kind of hurt her feelings in a way. Gibbs was like a father to her. For him to say nothing was painful. Tony looked over at his wife. He could see that something was troubling her, but he did not know what. His hand found hers and he gave it a little squeeze.

"Ziva," Gibbs said, suddenly.

"Yes, Gibbs," replied Ziva, wondering what he was going to say.

"Good to have you back. But please, you and Tony be on time tomorrow."

Ziva smiled. All of her worry was for nothing. Gibbs was pleased that she was back. And they did not get into trouble for being late. Ziva was determined not to be late again. She thought about buying a backup alarm clock. Just in case. Ziva made a note to pick one up the next time they went to the store.

* * *

**The character Mrs. Redford is entirely my own. I made her up for this story. She is not canon at all. But hey, Hiram needs a babysitter, right? Anyways, let me know what you think!**


	47. Chapter 47

**Author's Notes: Good news, everyone! I am back! This week has been crazy. Haven't had much time to post much of anything. But that is changing right now. The new chapter will be up shortly, so hold on.**

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**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. Bdn2372: Don't worry. Tony's going to squirm a bit more. He isn't finished just yet. The last chapter was meant to focus more on Ziva's first day back at NCIS. Tony and Ziva are trying to protect Mrs. Redford. They've both made a lot of enemies and they don't want Mrs. Redford to be used against them. But, I think that she suspects that they aren't being truthful to her. KK: I agree. She reminds me a bit of my grandmother. Always so sweet and wonderful. TotalCowgirl: Thanks! CelestrialMoon: Yeah, otherwise they will end up with this problem again. Don't think Gibbs would be too happy. =)**

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Seven: Trials and Tribulations**

* * *

Ziva made sure to remind Tony that he was still not off the hook. Despite all of the craziness that morning had brought, Ziva was still upset with Tony. Tony took it all in stride. He was still just as determined to show how sorry he was. Around nine o' clock, Tony voluntarily made a coffee run for Ziva. He even offered to pick something up for Tim. This surprised both Ziva and the junior agent. On any normal day, Tony would make Tim get the coffee. Today, however, Tony made the coffee run.

Tim and Ziva watched as the Senior field agent walked away from his desk. Car keys in hand, Tony made his way to the elevator. The elevator door opened and Tony stepped inside. The door closed and Tony could be seen no more.

"Is something going on, Ziva?" questioned McGee, looking puzzled.

"Tony is going through a sort of penance," explained Ziva. "For his earlier actions when Hiram was born."

"Well, that certainly explains his odd behavior," replied McGee. His expression switched to one of thoughtfulness. "Hey Ziva, do you think that you can keep this up? I kind of like not doing the coffee runs."

Ziva smirked as Tim leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. The elevator dinged. Ziva looked up to see Gibbs walking towards them. A mug of coffee was in his hand. McGee's eyes widened and he went back to typing on his computer. Ziva pretended to be working as well.

"Don't stop taking a break on my account," said Gibbs, taking a sip of his coffee.

Tim and Ziva could not tell whether Gibbs was being sarcastic or not. They chose the former.

"Sorry, boss," Tim and Ziva said, simultaneously.

Gibbs seemed to not have heard them. He was too busy scanning the bullpen. He noticed that one of his agents was missing. Taking another draft from his mug, Gibbs turned his attention to Tim and Ziva.

"Where is DiNozzo?" he inquired.

Ziva wanted so badly to say, "I'm right here." but she refrained. Technically, there were two DiNozzos on the team now. However, Gibbs probably would not find it amusing, so Ziva kept her comment to herself. It was McGee who answered Gibbs.

"He's on a coffee run," said Tim.

"Penance still in effect, Ziva?" questioned Gibbs, his blue eyes on hers.

"Yes."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes, good, Ziva," replied Gibbs. "I would have been shocked if you'd forgiven him quickly. I've been married before. I know that you have to give these things time."

"But what if I cannot forgive him?" asked Ziva, looking at Gibbs fearfully.

"You will," answered Gibbs.

* * *

Tony's trials did not end when he got home. There was still lots for him to do, and he took up the tasks willingly. He washed and dried all of the laundry, vacuumed all of the room in the house, did up the dirty dishes, cooked supper, drew bath water for Hiram, gave Hiram a bath, drew bath water for Ziva, took out the trash, and tucked Hiram into his crib. Tony wiped the sweat off of his brow. That was a lot for one person to do in a day, but he did it.

He was jumping through hoops just to gain his wife's forgiveness, but Tony regretted none of it. He knew that he deserved this. If he had been more considerate, Tony knew that he would not be in this mess. He allowed his worst side to run amok and was paying dearly for it.

_It's never going to happen again,_ Tony promised himself. _Not if I can help it._

_Can you?_ asked a voice in his head. _Can you be certain that you won't fall prey to the same mistakes?_

Of that much, Tony was unsure. It was easy to say that he would not repeat his errors. It was another thing entirely to act on those promises. Tony did not know that he would not fail again. It was his nature. Despite what Tony believed, he was not perfect. And history seemed to repeat itself a lot in Tony's life. That was the part that worried him the most. What if he did repeat his actions? Surely Ziva would not forgive him if he did. There was no chance of that happening.

"Tony?"

Ziva's voice broke through his thoughts. She had just stepped out of the shower. A blue towel was wrapped around her body. Her long, dark hair was wet and smelled of coconut. She was glancing at him questioningly.

"Hey, Zi," said Tony, smiling.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," replied Tony. He walked towards the door. "I'll leave while you get dressed."

"Ok, but I can tell that you are not fine," answered Ziva. Tony winced. She was far too good at telling when he was lying. "Come back in once I get my pajamas on. We can talk."

Tony nodded. He exited the room, shutting the door behind him. As part of the punishment, Tony was not allowed to see Ziva naked. Even if she was changing her clothes, Tony could not be in the same room. Tony had not seen his wife's body in so long that he began to forget what it looked like.

Ziva opened the door. She stuck her head out. Tony noticed that she was dressed in her flannel pajamas. He groaned inwardly. Ziva had said that she would wear the flannels until he was forgiven. Tony was kind of hoping that tonight would be the night. However, he was mistaken.

Ziva was seated on the edge of the bed. She patted the empty space next to her. Taking the hint, Tony plopped down right beside her. Ziva's brown eyes were fixated on Tony. There was several moments of silence before Tony spoke.

"I can't stop thinking that after this is all over, I am going to revert back to my old ways," Tony said, sadly.

"You do not have to," replied Ziva. "You can change."

"Can I, Ziva? Can I really change my nature?" asked Tony, his eyes boring into hers.

"Yes, I do believe that you can," answered Ziva. "But you have to be willing. And I think that you are definitely willing to change."

"Maybe for a little while, yes, but eventually, I will return," said Tony, looking away from Ziva. He felt ashamed to admit it, but it was useless to deny it. "I don't think that I can."

"The fact that you are willing to try tells me that you can, Tony," responded Ziva.

Her heart was breaking. She hated seeing her husband like this. He looked so distraught and defeated. That was not the man that she loved. Ziva knew that Tony was much stronger than that.

"Tony, look at me," Ziva said, grasping her husband's hand in her own.

Tony refused to look at her. Ziva sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Tony, look at me," Ziva commanded in a stronger voice.

This time, Tony gazed at his wife. Ziva saw a mixture of emotions in his eyes: love, anguish, and misery. She felt a great rush of pity. He had been through so much. She wanted to forgive him right then and there. But she could not. For whatever reason, there was something still inside of her that could not allow forgiving him just yet.

"You can do it," Ziva said, her eyes never leaving his. "You are one of the strongest people that I know. If anyone can change, it is you. I have watched you go through so many evolutions already. And for what it is worth, I believe that it will make you even better yet."

Ziva saw some of the anguish and unhappiness fade away. A flicker of the old Tony was there. Ziva smiled. Perhaps she had gotten through to him at last? Maybe this was a new start? Only time would tell.

* * *

**I feel really bad for Tony. Must be hard to go through all of this. It made me sad writing it. But, enough about my opinions, how about yours? Let me know what you think.**


	48. Chapter 48

**Author's Note: Hey everybody! I am about to post a new chapter! I hope that you're ready for this.**

**Special thanks to all who read, reviewed, and followed. Guest: I'm glad that you liked that. And I like your suggestion regarding flashbacks. I might just use that. =) KK: Yeah, I think so too. I don't believe that Ziva can stay too mad at him for too long. It just isn't in her to stay angry. CelestrialMoon: It's a possibility. Since they've talked about their feelings, I think that they both feel a little better being around the other. TotalCowgirl: Thank you!**

* * *

**Chapter Fourty-Eight: Renewal**

* * *

Saturday afternoon found Ziva DiNozzo with Abby Sciuto and a few other ladies. They were going shopping for bridesmaids dresses. Ziva was perfectly happy with this. Tony and Hiram were having a father—son day. Ziva was not sure what exactly that meant, but she knew that Tony could not cause too much trouble. After all, what sort of mischief could her husband get into with their seven month old son?

The ladies arrived at their destination: Frieda's Bridal. The place had every sort of dress imaginable. Besides the obvious brides' gowns, Frieda's Bridal offered a wide variety of bridesmaids dresses. The place was certainly a lot bigger than the one they went to for Ziva's dress.

"Okay, ladies," Abby addressed her friends. "Let's move out. You can all choose different variations of your dress, but it must have the colors black and red in it."

"Abby, I am downright horrible at finding dresses," Ziva whispered, pulling her friend off to the side.

"What are you talking about?" asked Abby in a hushed tone. "You found your own wedding dress. And it looked wonderful on you."

"That was before Hiram," replied Ziva. "It is much harder to find clothing now after the baby."

Abby stared at her friend. It was true that Ziva had put on a bit of weight since having Hiram. But Abby did not understand why Ziva was having such a hard time with this. Abby thought that Ziva still looked great, and she knew that Tony would agree. It really concerned Abby that Ziva was having weight issues again. And Abby was determined to let the former Mossad agent know it.

"You still look fantastic, Ziva," said Abby, frowning at her friend. "I do not understand why you are struggling with this."

"Look at me," Ziva wailed, clutching a bit of her belly. "I am fat."

"You are not," declared Abby. "And I refuse to allow my maid of honor to think differently."

Ziva blinked several times. Did she hear Abby correctly? Abby smiled in triumph.

"Me? Maid of honor," stuttered Ziva, looking flabbergasted.

"Yes, you," said Abby, beaming. "Like I would chose anyone else."

"I am honored," said Ziva, smiling. Seeing the slight frown on Abby's face, Ziva added, "No pun intended."

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. All of the ladies found dresses. Ziva's dress was a bit flashier than the others, since she was maid of honor. The foursome had lunch together at the bistro on C street. Ziva departed around three from the group. She could not wait to see her boys.

* * *

Tony and Hiram were on the couch when Ziva got home. They were watching an Ohio State game on the television. Or, at least, Tony was. Hiram was shaking his rattle, causing all sorts of racket. Ziva made a noise to announce her homecoming. Tony looked around to see Ziva standing in the entryway to the living room. Hiram looked up too. A big, broad smile spread across the baby's face as he recognized his mother. The rattle dropped from his hands and Hiram crawled over to his mom.

"So, this is what father—son day consists of?" asked an amused Ziva, dropping her bag to pick Hiram up.

"Pretty much," answered Tony, smiling at his wife. He looked down at the bag. "Oh, is that your bridesmaids' dress for Abby's wedding? Let's have a look."

"Actually, it is my maid of honor dress for Abby's wedding," corrected Ziva, rubbing noses with Hiram, who giggled.

"Abby made you her maid of honor." Tony said, looking thrilled. "That's great! Tim declared me his best man!"

Ziva grinned at her husband. She did not know that Tim had made Tony his best man. But it was not really a surprise. The two were really close. Ziva would have been shocked if McGee had chosen anyone else. The two were almost like brothers.

Hiram yawned and snuggled into his mother's arms. Ziva and Tony looked at Hiram as his eyes began to droop.

"Looks like someone needs a nap," said Ziva. "I'll go take care of him. Then, I'll try on that dress for you. You can even watch me put it on."

Tony's ears perked up at that. Did this mean what he thought it meant? He sure hoped so. Tony tried to keep his cool, but was failing miserably. He chided himself inwardly for appearing like a horny schoolboy.

"Meet me up there in five minutes," said Ziva, picking up her shopping bag as well.

Tony licked his lips. He watched hungrily as his wife walked away. Waiting until she was out of sight, Tony did a victory dance. Once finished, Tony proceeded up the stairs. He went into their bedroom and closed the door. He sat down on the edge of the bed and waited. He could feel his adrenaline pumping. His heart rate was growing faster and faster. He could not recall a time that he had been this excited.

* * *

The door opened and Ziva stepped in. Shutting the door slowly behind her, Ziva smiled at her husband. Tony watched as Ziva unbuttoned her pants and shimmied out of them. Her blouse came off next and joined the pair of jeans on the floor. Tony's breathing hitched in his throat as he saw Ziva in just a matching set of aqua colored underwear. He took in the sight before him. It was almost as though this was the first time. Tony's heart was pounding against his chest and he could feel himself sweating. He admired her barely clothed body for a few minutes. He nearly cried in anguish as Ziva began to put on the dress. Something that did not go unnoticed by Ziva.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sounding innocent. "Don't I look good in this dress?"

"You do," Tony managed to stammer the words. "But…."

"What, Tony," Ziva said, getting closer to him. Tony felt his throat clench. Speech would be nearly impossible now. He was far too worked up. And Ziva standing this close to him was not helping matters.

"But the dress would look much better on the floor," answered Tony.

Ziva smiled at him.

"You know something," Ziva said into Tony's ear. She straddled him. Tony shivered at the contact. "I think that you are right."

* * *

**Looks like someone has been forgiven! Or at least it appears so. Let me know what you think, dear readers.**


	49. Chapter 49

**Author's Notes: About ready to post a brand new chapter! I hope that you guys are ready for this!**

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**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. Celestrial Moon: I had more fun than I should have writing this. I just love these two together. Tiva forever indeed. KK: Yeah, it felt right to have Abby and Tim pick Tony and Ziva. =) Bdn2372: Tony did seem a bit too desperate. But if a man hasn't gotten any in a while, I'd imagine that he would do all sorts of things to get some. Lol. TotalCowGirl: Thanks. Me too. I didn't picture Ziva being so mad at Tony for too long. There comes a certain point where it becomes ridiculous.=)**

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**Chapter Fourty-Nine: Morning After**

* * *

Tony walked with a spring in his step into the bullpen. A huge grin was plastered onto his face. He was whistling a tune from a Frank Sinatra song. Ziva ambled in behind him. She was grinning as well. Timothy McGee looked up from his computer as Tony and Ziva entered the bullpen. Gibbs was speaking to someone on the phone. He did not sound too pleased.

"Is it that time of the year again?" asked Tony to McGee.

"You mean the time of the year where Gibbs' ex-wife calls him," answered McGee. "If so, then, yes."

"I really should remember to mark it on my calendar," muttered Tony, the smile fading slightly from his face.

"Although, you shouldn't let it ruin your chipper mood," replied Tim, smirking.

"What are you talking about, McSmirk?" questioned Tony. Then, it dawned on him. Just thinking about last night was enough to initiate another grin. "Yeah, I suppose you are right."

"So, you and Ziva are on good terms again?" asked McGee, a knowing smile on his face.

"I'm on a sort of probation, McInterested," explained Tony. "So, yes and no."

"I could change that, you know," said Ziva, standing right behind Tony.

He could feel her breath against his ear. Tony shivered. Ziva smiled in triumph. McGee made a face.

"I did not need to see that," McGee mumbled, looking horrified.

"I agree," declared Gibbs, who was standing behind Ziva. "You two keep your pants on while you're here. I'm not above taking back my blessing. Even if you are married. That goes for you too, Elf Lord."

"But it was Tony and Ziva who were undressing each other with their eyes," stated McGee.

Gibbs shot McGee a look. McGee quaked under the intensity of that stare. Tony and Ziva stifled giggles. Gibbs slapped both of them on the back of the head. As Tony and Ziva stood, a little dazed from the head slap, Gibbs' phone rang. Once Gibbs was on the phone, the other three agents grabbed their gear. They knew what was coming, and sure enough.

"Gear up," said Gibbs, pocketing his cell phone. "We've got a dead officer at Bethesda."

The car ride to Bethesda was short. But with the way that Gibbs drove, any car ride was not a long one. Tony had gotten used to the way that the Supervisory Agent drove over the years. Still, every once and a while, it was a little much for him. Especially if he had eaten a large breakfast. And today, Tony had eaten a huge amount of food for breakfast. Missus Redford had come early that morning to fix breakfast. She did this about once a month. Missus Redford loved to cook for other people. Since her family lived so far away, she did not get the opportunity to cook as often as she liked.

* * *

**Flashback**

* * *

Tony and Ziva awoke this morning to the smell of sizzling meat. Ambling down the staircase, they found Missus Redford in their kitchen. Hiram was in his playpen. He was holding his teddy bear and sucking his thumb. Missus Redford greeted Tony and Ziva as they entered the kitchen.

"Good morning," she said, brightly. "I hope that you are hungry."

Tony and Ziva heard their stomachs growl as Missus Redford said this. The old lady chuckled. She busied herself with the food.

"Do you need any help?" asked Ziva.

The old lady shook her head.

"No, I am fine, dear," said Missus Redford. "Have a seat. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Tony and Ziva did what they were told. It had been a little strange at first. Ziva was not used to someone coming into her kitchen and cooking for Tony and her. After about the third time, however, it became more natural. Missus Redford was truly like family to them. She was like the grandmother that they never had.

* * *

**End Flashback**

* * *

As Tony stepped out of the car, he could feel the food creeping up his esophagus. He held a hand in front of his face. He made a sound and the three other agents looked at him. Tony tried to play it off and pretend that nothing happened. However, that was proven impossible. A minute later, Tony spilled the contents of his stomach onto the pavement.

"I thought that you'd be used to it by now, DiNozzo," called Gibbs.

"I had a big breakfast," Tony replied, feeling queasy.

"Maybe next time you should not wolf it down so quickly," suggested Ziva, playfully.

Tony glared at her, but said nothing. He wished that he had some way to wash out his mouth. The lingering taste of bile was enough to make Tony want to vomit again.

"Where's the body located?" inquired Tony, trying to change the subject.

"Right over there," answered McGee, pointing to a spot a few feet from where they were standing.

"Looks like Ducky and Palmer are looking over the body right now," said Ziva.

"Good," said Gibbs. "That will give you time to collect evidence and gather statements."

The other three agents did just that. McGee snapped photos. Tony questioned the witnesses. Ziva busied herself by collecting anything that she could find. Once that was done, Ducky and Palmer loaded the body into the van to take it back to headquarters. The MCRT team followed Ducky back to NCIS. They had a lot of work to do.

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**Poor Tony. Can't catch a break. Let me know what you think, dear readers. **


	50. Chapter 50

**Author's Notes: Here comes chapter fifty, I can hardly believe that there are so many chapters. I have never written this many chapters in any story. Holy moley!**

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**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited. BDN2372: I think that it had more to do with the amount of food that Tony ate. I know that I wouldn't be feeling too great if I ate what Tony did and went on a car ride with Gibbs driving. I like the sound of Tony on probation. At least it means that Ziva isn't as mad at him. KW: Thank you very much for reading my story! It's always a pleasure to have a new reader, as much as it is a pleasure to have returning readers. And I agree, Tiva action is EXTREMELY welcome! ;) TotalCowGirl: I'm glad that you loved it! I loved writing it! =) Brittany1985: Welcome new reader! And thanks! I'll have the next chapter up soon! Gingerstorm101: Speaking of returning readers, welcome back! That's a lot of emails. Although, I probably have close to that in my inbox. I don't delete or read them right away and I pay for it. Lol. I think after a while that Ziva was wanting to go back to work. Not that she didn't love spending time with her son, I think that she just really missed working. CelestrialMoon: Lol. Pretty much. Mrs. Redford is becoming a part of their family. KK: Thanks! I have a feeling that McGee is going to get some revenge of his own…kinda. You'll see what I mean in this chapter. ;)**

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**Chapter Fifty: I'll Never Eat Too Much Again**

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Tony got into the backseat with Ziva. McGee took the front seat. Gibbs got into the driver's seat, and put the key into the ignition. He backed the car out of its spot in the Bethesda parking lot, and drove away. Tony's stomach started to flip flop unpleasantly again. Ziva looked over at her husband sympathetically. She placed a hand over his and squeezed. Tony smiled at Ziva. He closed his mouth a minute later when he felt bile creeping up his throat again.

At that exact moment, Tony looked up. There was a mirror hanging from the visor in front of McGee. Tony could see the junior agent's face perfectly. Right now, McGee was smirking. Tony frowned and glared into the mirror.

"You think that this is funny, McGoo?" asked Tony, his stomach violently lurching again.

"Only because it isn't me this time," retorted McGee, still smirking.

Tony was about to reply when Ziva interrupted him.

"Oh, give it a rest, Tony," she said. "Remember the hard time that you gave him when he puked at a crime scene?"

"That wasn't giving him a hard time, Ziva," responded Tony, clutching his stomach. "It's called breaking in the Probie. It happens to everyone."

"Everyone, eh?" said Ziva. Tony did not like that look that she was giving him. "So, you're saying that this isn't the first time that you've vomited at a crime scene?"

"That's besides the point," muttered Tony, his face tinged with green. "I'm not a Probie. If I recall, I am the Senior field agent on this team. With certain rights that come with the title."

"Like being a major pain in the ass," mumbled McGee.

Tony glared at the junior agent. Not another word was said until they got into the bullpen. It was at that moment that Tony noticed that Gibbs was missing.

"Where's our fearless leader?" inquired Tony, glancing around.

"Maybe Abby found something already?" suggested Tim, typing away on his computer.

"Impossible even for her," replied Ziva. "Abby is good, but even she couldn't have something in a minute."

"My Abby's pretty amazing," responded McGee, brightly. "Anything's possible."

"All that aside, McLovebird, I think that Ziva is right," Tony butted in. "I think that you've been playing too many video games. They've altered your sense of reality."

McGee shook his head in reply. It would be far too easy to point out that Tony was no better. Tony was an extreme movie buff. He made all sorts of references to movies when they were doing cases. If anyone needed a reality check, it was Tony. Though, McGee decided to drop the matter. It was not worth fighting over. Not to mention, they had a case to work on. If Gibbs came back and they had nothing, McGee knew that they would be in trouble.

* * *

Meanwhile, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was in Ducky's lab. Ducky was telling Gibbs about his preliminary findings. Jimmy Palmer was busying himself with cleaning the tools that Ducky used. However, that did not stop Jimmy from adding what he found to Ducky's report to Gibbs. Jimmy was still a bit intimidated by Gibbs. It was only natural. Jimmy's father was a lot like Gibbs. They both had a powerful aura surrounding them. People like that always had made the young medical assistant nervous. Although, over the past few years, Jimmy had become more confident. He was not as intimidated by Gibbs or anyone anymore. Jimmy knew that Breena had played a big role in this development. She had told him to stand up for himself, and he had listened. Now, he was reaping his reward.

"Let me know when you guys find anything else," Gibbs said as he left the lab.

Gibbs made his way up the stairs. He was at the floor below the bullpen when something caught his eye. It was a vending machine. Gibbs walked over to the vending machine. He noticed the button for lemon-lime soda and smiled. His father had given it to him as a kid to help calm his stomach. Putting a few coins into the machine, Gibbs pressed the button. A can of lemon-lime soda fell to the bottom. Gibbs scooped it up and headed for the bullpen.

The rest of his team was still working when he entered. Gibbs strode over to Tony's desk and placed the can of soda on top. Tony grabbed the can and looked at it curiously.

"Thanks, boss," said Tony, opening the can.

"Make sure to sip it, DiNozzo," replied Gibbs. "If you gulp it down, it won't do any good for your stomach."

Tony nodded. He started sipping out of the can. Already, Tony felt less queasy.

Ten more minutes passed and Gibbs asked about the case. Everyone gave him information about the case. Once that was done, Gibbs made his way to the elevator. He had just received a message that Abby had something for him. He didn't see McGee's smug smirk or Tony and Ziva's retorting glare.

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**This was certainly a fun little chapter. But I am more interested in what you guys think, so read and review, please?**


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